(643d) Enhanced Cellulases and Xylanase Production From Pelletized Trichoderma Reesei Fermentation

Trichoderma reesei is a well known filamentous fungus used for cellulases and xylanase production. As a filamentous fungus, the morphology of T. reesei could be clump-type or pellet-type. The clump morphology increases the viscosity of the medium, wraps around baffles and impellers which influence the nutrient mass transfer and reactor performance. Using pelletized fungal culture can significantly alleviate the problems. The objective of this study is to produce high titer of cellulase and xylanase simultaneously by controlling the pellet size of T. reesei and optimizing medium composition. The inoculum sizes controlled fungus morphology which plays an important role in the enzyme production. Xylan and cellulose were added into culture media as the substrate to induce the enzyme production, and CaCO3 was used to control pH at 4.8 through the whole process. Results indicated that the highest cellulase and xylanase activities of 2.2±0.22IU/mL and 1.6±0.15IU/mL could be concomitantly obtained with the pellet diameter at 0.7mm and the optimal culture temperature of 27◦C. In addition, the effects of crude enzyme solution from pelletized fungal fermentation on different lignocellulosic feedstock such as corn stover and switchgrass has been investigated as well.