The large-scale immobilization of Penicillium chrysogenum: batch and continuous operation in an air-lift reactor.

A temperature-sensitive cell division cycle mutant of Penicillium chrysogenum P2 has been immobilized on Celite and grown in a 250–320-L working volume air-lift fermenter. The ability to uncouple growth and penicillin synthesis by raising the temperature to 30 °C also overcame the problem of the free cell mass which appeared after 300 h operation with the parent organism. After 500 h operation, penicillin and ACV dimer were still being synthesized.