The conventional process for the microbial production of Dihydroxyacetone (DHA) from glycerol by Gluconobacter oxydans is the discontinuous fed-batch fermentation. A favoured alternative to the fed-batch fermentation represents the semi-continuous repeated-fed-batch operation. The process was realized successfully on experimental investigations of the inhibitory effect of the product DHA on the metabolism of Gluconobacter oxydans. A first optimization of the process was reached with the addition of a second carbon source and with the immobilisation of Gluconobacter oxydans in the first reactor stage. For the mathematical description of the semi-continuous two-stage repeated-fed-batch fermentation of DHA, a novel segregated model incorporating transient growth and product-formation rates was developed. Furthermore an optimization of the two-stage repeated-fed-batch process was performed using the transient segregated mathematical model.
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