A mixed microbial culture capable of growing aerobically on tetrahydrofuran (THF) as a sole carbon and energy source was used as the inoculum in a 10 l working volume membrane bioreactor. Following start-up, the reactor was operated in batch mode for 24 h and then switched to continuous feed with 100% biomass recycle. On average, greater than 96% of THF fed to the reactor was removed during the 8-month study. THF loading rates ranged from 0.62 to 9.07 g l(-1) day(-1) with a hydraulic retention time of 24 h. THF concentrations as high as 800 mg/l were tolerated by the culture. Biomass production averaged 0.28 kg total suspended solids/kg chemical oxygen demand removed, i.e., comparable to a conventional wastewater treatment process. Periodic batch wasting resulted in a solids retention time of 7-14 days. Reactor biomass typically ranged from 4 to 10 g/l volatile suspended solids and the effluent contained no solids. Pure THF-degrading cultures were isolated from the mixed culture based on morphological characteristics, Gram-staining and THF degradation. Based on 16S rDNA analysis the isolates were identified as Pseudonocardia sp. M1 and Rhodococcus ruber M2.

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Efrotomycin is a modified polyketide antibiotic of the elfamycin family that has use in the area of pig husbandry. Optimization of the fermentation medium for production of efrotomycin by Nocardia lactamdurans revealed that the fermentation is sensitive to hard water and certain lots of cottonseed flour used to prepare a complex fermentation medium. A limited metal ion analysis of the hard water indicated that calcium ions are present at concentrations found to be inhibitory by the addition of calcium chloride to medium prepared with distilled water. Similarly, a correlation between lots of cottonseed flour that poorly supported the fermentation and high calcium levels is presented. Further experimentation revealed that by altering the sterilization conditions of the cottonseed flour, the inhibitory effect of poor lots could be prevented.

A High cephamycin C producing strain of Nocardia lactam-durans was used to study cell growth and antibiotics production in defined media. Batch fermentations in shake flasks and stirred tanks showed that antibiotic production occurred during cell growth and the production rate rapidly decline as the growth slowed. Glutamate served as a primary substrate during this phase. Later, ammonia was utilized along with a remainder of the glucose. Rapid antibiotic production occurred in this phase. Increased glutamate promoted higher growth, a rise in ammonium ion concentration, and a marked reduction in antibiotic titers. An increase of the glucose concentration along with the glutamate concentration balanced to the medium; no ammonium ion rise occurred and a peak specific antibiotic titer comparable to the control medium was obtained. In a phosphate-limited medium, cell growth equivalent to the control medium and increased antibiotic titers were obtained. In these experiments, adjustment of Na(+) and K(+) ion concentration equal to that in the control medium was found to be important. Based on carbon and nitrogen balances, the activity of the key nitrogen metabolism enzymes, and the published literature, a two-stage model of regulation is suggested.