Journal of Bioprocessing & Biotechniques

Benzyl Penicillin (Penicillin G) is a secondary metabolite (Antibiotic) derived from Penicillium chrysogenum. Batch fermentation is widely used in the production of Penicillin G in laboratory scale and as well as in Industrial scale. The fermentation media for the production is sterilised at 121o C for 30 minutes as a usual practise in both scales of production. In our present study the production media used to produce Penicillin G was sterilized at various time intervals and the change in penicillin production along with the level of precursors utilized by the P. chrysogenum were analysed. The change in sterilization time varied the proportion of fermentation media converted from complex to simple. Studies were carried out in both shake flask level and also in laboratory scale fermenter (3 litres) with media containing PAA (Phenyl acetic acid) as precursor. The fermentation media used in this study contained K2SO4, KH2PO4, (NH4)2SO4, corn steep liquor (N2 source), Lactose (Carbon source) and CaCO3. The steam batch sterilisation at 121^oC was attempted with different time intervals between 25 to 50 minutes with 5 minutes increment. It was observed that change in the sterilization time increased the Penicillin-G production by 30 % upto 30 minute and only 6% upto 45 minute and then it started to drop. HPLC method was used to carry out quantitative analysis of the product Penicillin G and the precursor Phenyl acetic acid. The results further concluded that though the rise in the sterilization temperature increased the Penicillin G production rate, it was cost effective as more energy required to rise the sterilization temperature which in turn increased the cost of production of Penicillin G.  

Air-conditioned areas of a museum were monitored for the presence of total microbes in the air. The results were evaluated based on a Brazilian resolution that regulates accepted contamination levels in air-conditioned spaces, as well as based on the parameters from the World Health Organization. The results indicated low levels of bacterial and fungal populations in four distinct spaces, with total counts smaller than 50CFU m-3. These results, compared to the monitoring performed in the outside area of the museum indicated a very low internal to external count ratio, the highest one around 0.131, a value far beyond the acceptable limit of 1.5, as predicted by the Brazilian legislation. Even though those values clearly indicate low levels of contamination for human comfort, in the spaces monitored, the marked presence of fungi from the genera Cladosporium, Aspergillus and Penicillium deserve particularly attention due to their possible cellulolytic activity. The spaces are permanently controlled for their temperature and relative humidity levels, to be used as a permanent repository for scientific and historical documents in Brazil, and the presence of these potential cellulose-degrading microbes can markedly jeopardize the effective occupation of the areas due to their biodeterioration effects.