TY - JOUR
T1 - Toxicity effects of compressed and supercritical solvents on thermophilic microbial metabolism
AU - Berberich, Jason A.
AU - Knutson, Barbara L.
AU - Strobel, Herbert J.
AU - Tarhan, Sefa
AU - Nokes, Sue E.
AU - Dawson, Karl A.
PY - 2000/12/5
Y1 - 2000/12/5
N2 - Selection of biocompatible solvents is critical when designing bioprocessing applications for the in situ biphasic extraction of metabolic end-products. The prediction of the biocompatibility of supercritical and compressed solvents is more complicated than for liquid solvents, because their properties can change significantly with pressure and temperature. The activity of the anaerobic thermophilic bacterium, Clostridium thermocellum, was studied when the organism was incubated in the presence of compressed nitrogen, ethane and propane at 333 K and multiple pressures. The metabolic activity of the organisms in contact with compressed solvents was analyzed using traditional indicators of solvent biocompatibility, such as log P, interfacial tension, and solvent density. The toxicity of the compressed solvents was compared with the phase and molecular toxicity effects measured in liquid alkanes at atmospheric pressure. Inactivation increased with time in the presence of the compressed solvents, but was constant in the presence of atmospheric liquid solvents. Knowledge of molecular and phase toxicity provides a framework for the interpretation of C. thermocellum metabolism in contact with atmospheric and compressed solvents.
AB - Selection of biocompatible solvents is critical when designing bioprocessing applications for the in situ biphasic extraction of metabolic end-products. The prediction of the biocompatibility of supercritical and compressed solvents is more complicated than for liquid solvents, because their properties can change significantly with pressure and temperature. The activity of the anaerobic thermophilic bacterium, Clostridium thermocellum, was studied when the organism was incubated in the presence of compressed nitrogen, ethane and propane at 333 K and multiple pressures. The metabolic activity of the organisms in contact with compressed solvents was analyzed using traditional indicators of solvent biocompatibility, such as log P, interfacial tension, and solvent density. The toxicity of the compressed solvents was compared with the phase and molecular toxicity effects measured in liquid alkanes at atmospheric pressure. Inactivation increased with time in the presence of the compressed solvents, but was constant in the presence of atmospheric liquid solvents. Knowledge of molecular and phase toxicity provides a framework for the interpretation of C. thermocellum metabolism in contact with atmospheric and compressed solvents.
KW - Clostridium thermocellum
KW - Ethane
KW - Ethanol
KW - Fermentation
KW - Group contribution equation of state (GCA-EOS)
KW - Log P
KW - Phase toxicity
KW - Propane
KW - Supercritical fluids
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U2 - 10.1002/1097-0290(20001205)70:5<491::AID-BIT3>3.0.CO;2-U
DO - 10.1002/1097-0290(20001205)70:5<491::AID-BIT3>3.0.CO;2-U
M3 - Article
C2 - 11042545
AN - SCOPUS:0034610526
SN - 0006-3592
VL - 70
SP - 491
EP - 497
JO - Biotechnology and Bioengineering
JF - Biotechnology and Bioengineering
IS - 5
ER -