Bioreactor and method for producing microbial cellulose

Abstract

A technique for producing microbial cellulose is provided, including: preparing a liquid medium for microbial cultivation in a container; horizontally rotating multiple hollow tubes that are fitted together or separated from one another, so that each of the hollow tubes is alternately partially immersed in the liquid medium and partially exposed above the horizontal surface of the liquid medium; wherein each of the hollow tubes has a rough outer surface and a smooth inner surface, so as to allow microorganisms to form microbial cellulose on the outer surface of each hollow tube, as well as forming sheets of microbial cellulose on the horizontal surface of the liquid medium not being disturbed by the hollow tubes, and removing the microbial cellulose from the outer surfaces of the hollow tubes in order to obtain tubular microbial cellulose. In addition, the sheets of microbial cellulose are also harvested from the liquid medium.

1 . A bioreactor for producing microbial cellulose, said microbial cellulose comprises tubular microbial cellulose, and said bioreactor comprising:
 a container for holding a liquid medium for microbial cultivation; and   a horizontal module having hollow tubes being fitted together at an interval or separated from one another, said horizontal module being horizontally rotatably disposed in said container, so that each of said hollow tubes is alternately partially immersed in the liquid medium held in said container, and partially exposed above a horizontal surface of the liquid medium.   
     
     
         2 . The bioreactor of  claim 1 , wherein each of said hollow tubes has a rough outer surface and a smooth inner surface. 
     
     
         3 . The bioreactor of  claim 2 , wherein said rough outer surface is of a regular texture. 
     
     
         4 . The bioreactor of  claim 3 , wherein said hollow tubes are 2-5 cylindrical tubes. 
     
     
         5 . The bioreactor of  claim 4 , wherein said hollow tubes are fitted together at an interval from one another, with the inner most tube having a diameter of 1-5 cm, and the interval between two neighboring hollow tubes is 0.5-2 cm. 
     
     
         6 . The bioreactor of  claim 5 , wherein said horizontal module further comprises two spacers located at two ends of the hollow tubes being fitted together, and said spacers are used to secure the fitted hollow tubes at an interval from each other, and each of the two spacers is provided with one shaft horizontally extending from the spacer in a direction away from the fitted hollow tubes, wherein the two shafts have an identical axis of horizontal rotation, and the shafts are rotatably attached to said container, such that said fitted hollow tubes are allowed to rotate in said container about said axis of horizontal rotation. 
     
     
         7 . The bioreactor of  claim 6 , wherein each of said spacers has a cross-shaped section, an end of said cross-shaped section has groups of four joining clefts surroundingly disposed around a central point of the cross with an equal distance therebetween, wherein each group of the four joining clefts are used to join with and hold an end of one hollow tube of the fitted hollow tubes, and another end of said cross-shaped section has said shaft disposed on the central point of the cross. 
     
     
         8 . The bioreactor of  claim 6 , wherein each of said spacers has a Y-shaped section, an end of said Y-shaped section has groups of three joining clefts surroundingly disposed around a central point of the Y with an equal distance therebetween; each group of the three joining clefts are used to join with and hold an end of one hollow tube of the fitted hollow tubes, and another end of said Y-shaped section has said shaft disposed on the central point of the Y. 
     
     
         9 . The bioreactor of  claim 3 , wherein said hollow tubes are separated from each other. 
     
     
         10 . The bioreactor of  claim 9 , wherein each of said separated hollow tubes has a diameter of 2-20 cm. 
     
     
         11 . A method for producing microbial cellulose, comprising the following steps:
 preparing a liquid medium having cellulose-producing microorganisms in a container;   horizontally rotating multiple hollow tubes that are fitted together at an interval or separated from one another, such that each of the hollow tubes is alternately partially immersed in the liquid medium and partially exposed above the horizontal surface of the liquid medium, so as to allow the microorganisms to form microbial cellulose on an outer surface of each of the hollow tubes, as well as forming sheets of microbial cellulose on a horizontal surface of the liquid medium not being disturbed by the hollow tubes in the container; and   removing the microbial cellulose from the outer surfaces of each of the hollow tubes, thereby obtaining tubular microbial cellulose; wherein each of the hollow tubes has a rough outer surface and a smooth inner surface.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the microorganisms are  Gluconacetobacter xylinus.    
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the rough outer surface has a regular texture. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the hollow tubes are 2-5 cylindrical tubes. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the hollow tubes are fitted together at an interval from one another, with the inner most tube having a diameter of 1-5 cm, and the interval between two neighboring hollow tubes is 0.5-2 cm 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the hollow tubes are separated from each other. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein each of said separated hollow tubes has a diameter of 2-20 cm. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising a step of removing said sheets of microbial cellulose from the liquid medium in the container.