Microbial cellulose

Microbial cellulose, sometimes called bacterial cellulose, is a form of cellulose that is produced by bacteria. It is widely used in the Filipino dessert Nata de coco. The earliest articles describing microbial cellulose was from 1931, it was subsequently identified as cellulose in 1934. Microbial cellulose, sometimes called bacterial cellulose, is a form of cellulose that is produced by bacteria. It is widely used in the Filipino dessert Nata de coco. The earliest articles describing microbial cellulose was from 1931, it was subsequently identified as cellulose in 1934. Bacteria from the genera Aerobacter, Acetobacter, Achromobacter, Agrobacterium, Alacaligenes, Azotobacter, Pseudomonas, Rhizobium, and Sarcina synthesize cellulose. However, only the Gluconacetobacter produce enough cellulose to justify commercial interest. The most extensively studied species is Gluconacetobacter xylinus, formerly known as Acetobacter xylinum and since reclassified as Komagataeibacter xylinus. G. xylinus extrudes glycan chains from pores into the growth medium. These aggregate into microfibrils, which bundle to form microbial cellulose ribbons. Various kinds of sugars are used as substrate. Production occurs mostly at the interface of liquid and air.