Introduction

In the second lecture unit we have seen that the performance of microorganisms is quantitatively described by biomass specific rates. In this lecture Sef Heijnen will use these rates to design a full scale aerobic PDO continuous fermentation. We will start with the cornerstone of this design: the process reaction. Sef will explain how the process reaction will be set-up using the Black Box kinetic model of the organism, which allows to calculate the biomass specific rates. Finally, we will discover how to make the PDO fermentation more sustainable.

In the Best Practice, prof. Luis Cortez from the University of Campinas, introduces us to Brazil as the biggest producer of bioethanol for car fuel in the world. He will explain why and how the production of bioethanol from sugar cane has become so important and he will discuss the challenges for making this production more sustainable.