Optimization of process conditions for biosurfactant production from mutant strain of Bacillus sp(m28) in a 5l laboratory fermenter

Interest in biosurfactants has increased considerably in recent years, as they are potentially used in many commercial applicationsin petroleum, pharmaceuticals, biomedical, and food processing industries. Optimisations of fermentation conditions were important in order to improve their production and reduction of final cost. Therefore the potent bacterial strain isolated from oil contaminated earth of petrol pump of Kolkata,west Bengal,india and identified as Bacillus sp was mutated by using N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (NTG) and used for this study.The present work emphasized on the determination of optimum fermentation conditions for biosurfactants production from mutant strain of Bacillus sp (m28).The fermentation conditions viz. period of fermentation, agitator speed, aeration rate and volume of the fermentation medium were determined by using automated fully controlled laboratory scale 5L (EYELA, MBF, 500M, MOB-2) fermenter. Moreover viscosity and volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient (kLa) under these optimized conditions were studied.From my study the optimum period of fermentation, agitator speed, aeration rate and volume of the fermentation medium were found to be 5 days,150r.p.m,1.0v.v.m and 3l for the maximum production of biosurfactant. Viscosity and KLa determined under these conditions were found to be 129.76hr-1 and 0.037c.p. Key words: biosurfactant, optimization, process conditions, production, fermenter