In acetic acid fermentation by Acetobacter aceti, the acetic acid produced inhibits the production of acetic acid by this microorganism. To alleviate this inhibitory effect, we developed an electrodialysis fermentation method such that acetic acid is continuously removed from the broth. The fermentation unit has a computerized system for the control of the pH and the concentration of ethanol in...

In recent years there has been a shift in the focus of biotechnological progress to find new approaches in food fermentation and develop multifunctional microorganisms to improve the nutritional and health benefit of food. In the present study, rice-mucuna blends of different formulation, (100:0, 100:0, 90:10, 80:20, 70:30, 60:40, and 50:50) respectively, were subjected to solid state fermentat...

Ethanol production from agro-based raw materials normally involves two major steps, fermentation and distillation. These steps are reviewed, mainly in relation to molasses, which is the most common raw material in tropical countries. The specific effect on fermentation efficiency of molasses quality in terms Fermentable Sugars, the ratio of fermentable to non-fermentable solids, Volatile Acids,...

We investigate the segregation of a dense binary mixture of granular particles that only differ in their restitution coefficient. The mixture is vertically vibrated in the presence of gravity. We find a partial segregation of the species, where most dissipative particles submerge in the less dissipative ones. The segregation occurs even if one type of the particles is elastic. In order to have ...

In Greek mythology, the river Styx is a river that formed the boundary between earth and the underworld or Hades, the abode of the dead. The ferryman of the river Styx was called Charon, a personification of the decision-making process between life and death. According to some versions of the myth, the river Styx had miraculous powers and could make someone immortal. Achilles was said to have b...

A pilot scale membrane bioreactor hybrid system (MBR-HS) was evaluated for municipal wastewater treatment. This novel system comprised of a granular activated carbon-sponge fluidized bed bioreactor (GACS-FBBR) followed by a submerge membrane bioreactor (MBR) with the capacity of 2 L/min. The results indicated that the MBR-HS could effectively remove 90% DOC and 95% NH₄-N. PO₄-P removal efficien...

The Department of Viticulture and Enology of University of California at Davis has recently been endowed with a new training and research (T&R) winery. The heart of the winery is the fermentation room which houses close to 170 fermentation tanks of various sizes. The high-tech fermentation tanks raise fermentation control to a new level. Each is equipped with digital sensors that were purpose-d...

Thermolyzed casein is known to promote the growth of aberrant crypt foci (ACF) and colon cancer when it is fed to rats that have been initiated with azoxymethane. We speculated that the promotion was a consequence of increased colonic protein fermentation (i.e., that the thermolysis of the casein decreases its digestibility, increases the amount of protein reaching the colon, and increases colo...

The fermentation pattern of Lactococcus lactis with altered activities of the las enzymes was examined on maltose. The wild type converted 65% of the maltose to mixed acids. An increase in phosphofructokinase or lactate dehydrogenase expression shifted the fermentation towards homolactic fermentation, and with a high level of expression of the las operon the fermentation was homolactic.

Production of total ergot alkaloids by Claviceps fusiformis in solid state fermentation was 3.9 times higher compared to that in submerged fermentation. Production was equal in the case of Claviceps purpurea but the spectra of alkaloids were advantageous with the use of solid state fermentation. The data establish potential of solid state fermentation which was not explored earlier for producti...