Fermentation of mixed substrates by Clostridium pasteurianum and its physiological, metabolic and proteomic characterizations

Abstract

Clostridium pasteurianum is becoming increasingly attractive for the production of chemicals and fuels such as n-butanol and 1,3-propanediol. Previously we have shown that dual substrate fermentation using glucose and glycerol enhanced the cell growth and butanol production significantly. Although C. pasteurianum can grow efficiently with either glucose or glycerol alone, under certain conditions, glucose limitation in the mixed substrate fermentation leads to growth cessation. To understand this phenomenon and for process optimization, fermentation experiments were performed in the presence of excess glycerol but with varied initial concentrations of glucose which were followed by physiological, metabolic and proteomic analyses.