Pullulan Production by Aureobasidium pullulans ATCC 201253 Cells Adsorbed onto Cellulose Anion and Cation Exchangers

The anion exchanger phosphocellulose and the cation exchanger triethylaminoethyl cellulose were used to immobilize cells of the fungus Aureobasidium pullulans ATCC 201253 and the adsorbed cells were subsequently investigated for their ability to produce the polysaccharide pullulan using batch fermentation. The cells adsorbed on the triethylaminoethyl cellulose at pH 7.5 produced higher pullulan levels than those cells immobilized on phosphocellulose at pH 4.0 for 2 cycles of 168 h at 30 °C. Relative to the initial cycle of 168 h, pullulan production by the cells immobilized on the triethylaminoethyl cellulose decreased slightly after 168 h of the second production cycle while pullulan production by the phosphocellulose-immobilized cells remained about the same after 168 h of the second production cycle.