Demonstrating the viability of halolipase production at a mechanically stirred tank biological reactor

•Lipolytic activity values reached near 8000 U/L at 0.25 vvm and 583 rpm.•The biological process was modelled by logistic and Luedeking & Piret type equations.•The efficience of oxygen mass transfer was evaluated at optimum conditions. The definition of halophiles as “the coming stars of industrial biotechnology” in a recent review demands new research efforts for their efficient production at bioreactor scale. In this sense, the scarcity of information about halolipases production has furthered the research on the viability of Halomonas sp. LM1C culture in a mechanically stirred bioreactor. The operating conditions have been optimized by means of a Central Composite Face-Centered (CCFC) design. The operation at low aerations (0.25 vvm) and moderate agitation rates (583 rpm) led to activity levels near 8000 U/L, which clearly surpasses the typical values detected for other extremophilic enzymes. The process at optimum conditions has been kinetically characterized and the oxygen volumetric mass transfer coefficient (KLa) has been determined.