Studies on simultaneous production of chitosanase and hydrolysis of chitosan in situ with a three-phase bubble column bioreactor

Trichoderma reesei ATCC56764 was immobilized on pieces of porous polyurethane foam sheet and packed in a three-phase bubble column bioreactor for simultaneous production of chitosanase and hydrolysis of chitosan in situ. The average degree of polymerization of chitosan hydrolyzates could be regulated by reaction time. Under the repeated-batch process with 2 % (w/v) soluble chitosan at pH4. 8, 28℃, the activity of chitosanase for each batch was about 150 mU mL-1, the average yield of reducing sugar as D-glucosamine reached 70%. The novel immobilized bioreactor system run stably and effectively in the successive 15 batches lasting 45 days without notable change in the activity and productivity.