PHYSIOLOGICAL REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF THE BIOPOLYMER ELSINAN BY SPECIES OF ELSINOE

Abstract : In order to determine optimum environmental conditions for t he production of elsinan, the following parameters were evaluated: culture conditions, growth medium, incubation period, ph, and sources and amounts of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphate. A medium was devised for the optimum yields of high (2 million), medium (1-2 million), and low (1 million) weight average molecular weight biopolymer products. Batch systems, scale-up batch, and continuous fermentations of one liter and 10 liters were also evaluated, as were processing conditions. Elsinan biopolymer products with weight average molecular weights from less than 500 thousand to over 2 million, with a dispersity of around two were produced. The chemical properties of these fractions were evaluated, but films and fibers were too brittle for physical analysis.