Cellulase production was evaluated in two reference strains (T. reesei Rut-C30 and T. reesei QM9414), two strains isolated from a sugarcane cultivation area (Trichoderma sp. IPT778 and T. harzianum rifai IPT821) and one strain isolated in a program for biodiversity preservation in São Paulo state (Myceliophthora thermophila M77). Solid state cultures were performed using sugarcane bagasse (C), wheat bran (W) and/or soybean bran (S). The highest FPA was 10.6 U/gdm for M77 in SC (10:90) at 80% moisture, which was 4.4 times higher than production in pure W. C was a strong inducer of cellulase production, given that the production level of 6.1 U/gdm in WC (40:60) was 2.5 times higher than in pure W for strain M77; T. reesei Rut-C30 did not respond as strongly with about 1.6-fold surplus production. S advantageously replaced W, as the surplus production on SC (20:80) was 2.3 times relative to WC (20:80) for M77.

In this study, a preparative size-exclusion chromatography of two different clarified media obtained from submerse and semisolid culture of the mold Aspergillus awamori was carried out. Characterization and comparison of the quantities of glucoamylase and contaminant proteins present in these media were possible. Glucoamylase is the protein with the higher molecular weight in both media analyzed, varying from 72 to 80kDa in the submerse culture and from 68 to 90kDa in the semisolid culture. Also, glucoamylase protein concentration is higher in the submerse culture than in the semisolid culture. The other proteins in the submerse culture presented molecular weights lower than 12kDa and in the semisolid culture their molecular weights varied from 21 to 37kDa and below 10kDa.

Abstract - The gas balance technique applied to batch cultures of the aerobic microorganism Aspergillus awamori NRRL3112 results in respiratory coefficient,RQ, values as high as 1.4 for glucose concentrations around 50g/L and no nutrients or oxygen concentration limitation. RQ decreases during the culture to values around 1.0 for glucose concentrations lower than 10g/L. Besides of an indication of drastic metabolic changes, these data suggest the need for some care when utilizing the RQ value for process control purposes. This RQ variability also has influence on the determination mode of the specific oxygen uptake rate, qO2 (mmol/gh). If the RQ value is constant, qO2 can be determined through a carbon dioxide (CO2) gas balance. This determination mode gives more reliable results than the one based on the oxygen gas balance since CO2 determination via a spectrophotometer of infrared gives accurate results and is a fast response relative to fluctuations in the CO2. In the case of this process however, reliable values of specific oxygen uptake rate, qO2, can be obtained only through the oxygen gas balance

Abstract - A cultivation strategy based on some previous knowledge of the metabolism of Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) pLysS containing the troponin C gene cloned into plasmid pET was developed and applied through the use of simple fermentation equipment and a feed-forward control strategy in order to achieve a high cell concentration <FONT FACE="Symbol">¾</font> 92 g l-1 dry cell weight <FONT FACE="Symbol">¾</font> and a high cell productivity <FONT FACE="Symbol">¾</font> 3.7 g l-1 h-1.