Process strategies for cephalosporin C fermentation

Abstract

Cephalosporin C (CPC), a β-lactam antibiotic, is starting molecule for industrial production of semi synthetic cephalosporins. CPC fermentation has been carried out in Air Lift Reactor (indigenously made up of borosilicate glass) in different fermentation modes i.e., batch and fed batch modes using a mold Acremonium chrysogenum (synn. Cephalosporium acremonium). A definite correlation exists between the antibiotic productivity and flow rate of supplementary feed. Fed batch process was shown to be more efficient than the batch one, and the process in which the lowest supplementary feed flow rate was used resulted in significantly higher antibiotic production.