Investigation of radiotracer types for RTD determination in an aerated CSTR producing Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)

Due to the increasing importance of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), including poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (P3HB), in the production of packaging and for medical applications, investigation in these field is crucial to meet the requirements of “green industrial production”. The research was conducted to optimize the culturing conditions for Escherichia coli. An Escherichia coli strain was genetically modified to synthesize P3HB in an aerated Continuous Stirred-Tank Reactor (CSTR). In this study, the oxygen volumetric mass transfer coefficients for bacterial cultures carried out in the BioFlow 415 bioreactor with aeration were determined. Moreover, the possibility of applying several radiotracers to track the amount of produced P3HB was analyzed. Phoroshhrous-32 was found to be the most suitable option and is therefore recommended for further use and future determination of the Residence Time Distribution (RTD) in an aerated CSTR.