Cultivation of Aspergillus niger on sugarcane bagasse impregnated with vinasse: Influence of solid moisture on oxygen transfer

• Grant number: 11/07802-0
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: August 01, 2011
• End date: January 31, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Chemical Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Reinaldo Gaspar Bastos
• Grantee: Reinaldo Gaspar Bastos
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Agrárias (CCA). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). Araras , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Claudinei Fonseca Souza ; Maria Helena Andrade Santana

Abstract

Solid-state cultivation can be defined as growth of microorganisms on a solid support, impregnated with or without a nutrient solution, near to the absence of free water. This process presents a great technological potential for food production, chemicals and pharmaceuticals. The solid supports used may vary in their composition, size, strength, porosity and water retention, and can often be used for agro-industrial residues such as sugarcane bagasse. Due to its composition, the bagasse can be considered an almost inert support, requiring that the particles are impregnated with a nutrient solution. Considering the ethanol industry, largely developed in the region of Araras/SP, vinasse is the main wastewater generated by the distillation of the alcoholic solution obtained by fermentation. In fact, as there are no reports on the use of wastewater to impregnate the solid support, the proposal represents the combined use of vinasse and bagasse. The filamentous fungi have a greater capacity for development of solid-state conditions due to their physical and biochemical characteristics of the process. Aspergillus niger is a filamentous fungus widely used in industrial processes, especially production of citric acid and enzymes. Although the oxygen transfer phenomena represent the most important, and limiting the growth of aerobic fungi in solid media, literature is poor about oxygen transfer characterization, i.e., estimation of the overall coefficient of oxygen transfer gas- liquid (kLa). In this context, the aim of this study is evaluated the oxygen transfer in solid state cultivation of Aspergillus niger on sugarcane bagasse impregnated with vinasse. The proposal hopes to clarify the engineering aspects of solid-state cultivation and become an alternative for treatment and recovery of wastes from sugarcane processing in Brazil. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

BASTOS, R. G.; MORAIS, D. V.; VOLPI, M. P. C.. INFLUENCE OF SOLID MOISTURE AND BED HEIGHT ON CULTIVATION OF Aspergillus niger FROM SUGARCANE BAGASSE WITH VINASSE. Brazilian Journal of Chemical Engineering, v. 32, n. 2, p. 377-384, APR-JUN 2015. (11/07802-0)

CLAUDINEI F. SOUZA; LUCAS DA S CIRILO; REINALDO G. BASTOS; JOSÉ G. PERES; ALINE F. OLIVEIRA. Sonda de tdr para a estimativa de umidade em bagaço de Cana-de-açúcar. Engenharia Agrícola, v. 36, n. 1, p. 24-35, 2016-02-00. (11/07802-0)