Simple Kinetic Model of Cellulase Production by Trichoderma Reesei for Productivity or Yield Maximization

A simple kinetic model of cellulase production by Trichoderma reesei on lactose was developed and parameters identified using bibliographic and personal data. Assuming a mean representation of industrial hyperproducer strains, this model was used to simulate and compare several cultivation strategies regarding three criteria: in addition to usual productivity and yield calculation, oxygen demand was studied and used as a constraint for protocol design. Results showed that none of the protocols maximizes both productivity and yield, requiring to find a compromise for these parameters. Moreover, substrate concentration in the feed was the main criterion for the choice of the protocol, while oxygen demand and biomass concentration were the main issues to reach high productivities. The model will be useful for an economic study of cultivation strategies.