Effect of airflow rate on yields of Steinernema carpocapse Az 20 in liquid culture in an external-loop airlift bioreactor

• Autor(a) principal: Neves, J. M.
• Data de Publicação: 2001
• Outros Autores: Teixeira, J. A., Simões, N., Mota, M.
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Texto Completo: http://hdl.handle.net/1822/1755
• topic: External-loop airlift; Airflow; Entomopathogenic nematodes; Mating effectiveness; Mass production; Science & Technology

Maximization of the contact between males and females is a key factor in the production of the nematode Steinernema carpocapsae in a bioreactor. The influence of the airflow rate in male and female distribution and mass production in an external-loop bioreactor with a deceleration zone was studied. When operating at an airflow rate of 0.05 vvm, a high retention of females in the deceleration zone of the bioreactor was observed and a larger nematode productivity was obtained. At this aeration rate there was a higher proportion of males in that zone, which together with the lower circulation rate, increases the probability of encounters, thereby explaining the increase in productivity.