Hierarchical Emulsion-Templated Monoliths (polyHIPEs) as Scaffolds for Covalent Immobilization of <i>P. acidilactici</i>

The immobilized cell fermentation technique (IMCF) has gained immense popularity in recent years due to its capacity to enhance metabolic efficiency, cell stability, and product separation during fermentation. Porous carriers used as cell immobilization facilitate mass transfer and isolate the cells...

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Main Authors: Zhengqiao Yin, Shengmiao Zhang, Xiucai Liu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-04-01
Series:Polymers
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/15/8/1862
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author Zhengqiao Yin
Shengmiao Zhang
Xiucai Liu
author_facet Zhengqiao Yin
Shengmiao Zhang
Xiucai Liu
author_sort Zhengqiao Yin
collection DOAJ
description The immobilized cell fermentation technique (IMCF) has gained immense popularity in recent years due to its capacity to enhance metabolic efficiency, cell stability, and product separation during fermentation. Porous carriers used as cell immobilization facilitate mass transfer and isolate the cells from an adverse external environment, thus accelerating cell growth and metabolism. However, creating a cell-immobilized porous carrier that guarantees both mechanical strength and cell stability remains challenging. Herein, templated by water-in-oil (w/o) high internal phase emulsions (HIPE), we established a tunable open-cell polymeric P(St-<i>co</i>-GMA) monolith as a scaffold for the efficient immobilization of <i>Pediococcus acidilactici</i> (<i>P. acidilactici)</i>. The porous framework’s mechanical property was substantially improved by incorporating the styrene monomer and cross-linker divinylbenzene (DVB) in the HIPE’s external phase, while the epoxy groups on glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) supply anchoring sites for <i>P. acidilactici</i>, securing the immobilization to the inner wall surface of the void. For the fermentation of immobilized <i>P. acidilactici</i>, the polyHIPEs permit efficient mass transfer, which increases along with increased interconnectivity of the monolith, resulting in higher <sub>L</sub>-lactic acid yield compared to that of suspended cells with an increase of 17%. The relative <sub>L</sub>-lactic acid production is constantly maintained above 92.9% of their initial relative production after 10 cycles, exhibiting both its great cycling stability and the durability of the material structure. Furthermore, the procedure during recycle batch also simplifies downstream separation operations.
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spelling doaj.art-502f75802a554c52b3b4484ab8df1e302023-11-17T21:01:38ZengMDPI AGPolymers2073-43602023-04-01158186210.3390/polym15081862Hierarchical Emulsion-Templated Monoliths (polyHIPEs) as Scaffolds for Covalent Immobilization of <i>P. acidilactici</i>Zhengqiao Yin0Shengmiao Zhang1Xiucai Liu2Shanghai Key Laboratory of Advanced Polymeric Materials, Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, ChinaShanghai Key Laboratory of Advanced Polymeric Materials, Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, ChinaShanghai Key Laboratory of Advanced Polymeric Materials, Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, ChinaThe immobilized cell fermentation technique (IMCF) has gained immense popularity in recent years due to its capacity to enhance metabolic efficiency, cell stability, and product separation during fermentation. Porous carriers used as cell immobilization facilitate mass transfer and isolate the cells from an adverse external environment, thus accelerating cell growth and metabolism. However, creating a cell-immobilized porous carrier that guarantees both mechanical strength and cell stability remains challenging. Herein, templated by water-in-oil (w/o) high internal phase emulsions (HIPE), we established a tunable open-cell polymeric P(St-<i>co</i>-GMA) monolith as a scaffold for the efficient immobilization of <i>Pediococcus acidilactici</i> (<i>P. acidilactici)</i>. The porous framework’s mechanical property was substantially improved by incorporating the styrene monomer and cross-linker divinylbenzene (DVB) in the HIPE’s external phase, while the epoxy groups on glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) supply anchoring sites for <i>P. acidilactici</i>, securing the immobilization to the inner wall surface of the void. For the fermentation of immobilized <i>P. acidilactici</i>, the polyHIPEs permit efficient mass transfer, which increases along with increased interconnectivity of the monolith, resulting in higher <sub>L</sub>-lactic acid yield compared to that of suspended cells with an increase of 17%. The relative <sub>L</sub>-lactic acid production is constantly maintained above 92.9% of their initial relative production after 10 cycles, exhibiting both its great cycling stability and the durability of the material structure. Furthermore, the procedure during recycle batch also simplifies downstream separation operations.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/15/8/1862cell immobilizationhigh internal phase emulsionpolyHIPEfermentation<sub>L</sub>-lactic acid
spellingShingle Zhengqiao Yin
Shengmiao Zhang
Xiucai Liu
Hierarchical Emulsion-Templated Monoliths (polyHIPEs) as Scaffolds for Covalent Immobilization of <i>P. acidilactici</i>
Polymers
cell immobilization
high internal phase emulsion
polyHIPE
fermentation
<sub>L</sub>-lactic acid
title Hierarchical Emulsion-Templated Monoliths (polyHIPEs) as Scaffolds for Covalent Immobilization of <i>P. acidilactici</i>
title_full Hierarchical Emulsion-Templated Monoliths (polyHIPEs) as Scaffolds for Covalent Immobilization of <i>P. acidilactici</i>
title_fullStr Hierarchical Emulsion-Templated Monoliths (polyHIPEs) as Scaffolds for Covalent Immobilization of <i>P. acidilactici</i>
title_full_unstemmed Hierarchical Emulsion-Templated Monoliths (polyHIPEs) as Scaffolds for Covalent Immobilization of <i>P. acidilactici</i>
title_short Hierarchical Emulsion-Templated Monoliths (polyHIPEs) as Scaffolds for Covalent Immobilization of <i>P. acidilactici</i>
title_sort hierarchical emulsion templated monoliths polyhipes as scaffolds for covalent immobilization of i p acidilactici i
topic cell immobilization
high internal phase emulsion
polyHIPE
fermentation
<sub>L</sub>-lactic acid
url https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/15/8/1862
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AT xiucailiu hierarchicalemulsiontemplatedmonolithspolyhipesasscaffoldsforcovalentimmobilizationofipacidilacticii