A simultaneous sucrose bioconversion into ethanol and levan by Zymomonas mobilis

Two biotechnological systems were developed for sucrose conversion into levan and ethanol with Zymomonas mobilis , ensuring a 66.7% transfer of substrate carbon in a batch and 61% carbon transfer in a continuous culture. The effect of glucose, ethanol, and medium pH on sucrose conversion by Z. mobilis was studied. The addition of ethanol to the fermentation medium, in the final conc. of 100 g/L, uncoupled levan synthesis from ethanol fermentation. For a continuous culture, the most efficient conversion of substrate carbon into levan was reached at pH 4.8, giving 64.2 g/L levan, with the levan yield of 0.22 g/g and the productivity of 3.2 g/L/h.