Inoculum Quality

In conclusion, the quality of the inoculum is not precise at all. Moreover, even if the same procedure is used (for instance sewage sludge), the inoculum varies according to the place and the season of sampling. In order to get interlaboratory reproducibility, it is important to try to standardize the quality of inoculum. 

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Simultaneous L-lactic acid fermentation (by Rhizopus oryzae immobilized in calcium alginate beads) and separation was carried out using a three-phase fluidized-bed bioreactor as a fermenter (F), an external electrodialyzer as a separator, and a pump to recycle the fermentation broth between the bioreactor and the separator. In this way, the experimental specific lactate productivity and yield practically coincided with those obtained in the CaC03-buffered fermentation process (Xuemei et al., 1999), thus confirming the capability of the combined system to alleviate product inhibition without any addition of alkali or alkali salts. It was also shown that the adoption of ED-F for the production of inoculum reduced variability in inoculum quality, thus shortening the length of the lag phase of L-lactate production practically to zero as compared to that observed using an inoculum... 

Contamination of the production vessel leads to serious financial penalties and each step in the inoculum train is monitored for contamination. To reduce the risk of contamination during sampling it is usual to take a sample from the residue left in each vessel after its contents have been transferred to the next reactor. Since these contamination checks are retrospective, a heavy reliance is placed on the growth characteristics of the production organism. Kinetic variables such as growth rate and oxygen consumption rate are also used to assess the quality of the inoculum. 

Blok, J. and M. Booy. 1984. Biodegradability test results related to quality and quantity of the inoculum. Ecotox. Environ. Safety 8 410-422. 

A cadaver is a complex resource that comes with a heavy microbial inoculum in the form of enteric and dermal microbial communities (Clark, Worrell, and Pless 1997 Hill 1995 Noble 1982 Wilson 2005 Yajima et al. 2001). A cadaver also comprises a large amount of water (60%-80%), a relatively high concentration of lipid and protein (Swift, Heal, and Anderson 1979 Tortora and Grabowski 2000) and a narrow C N ratio (Table 2.1). These properties are characteristic of a high-quality resource thus, the breakdown of a cadaver is usually rapid. This breakdown can broadly be described by three processes autolysis, putrefaction, and decay. 

The quality and quantity of chitosan extracted from the fungal mycelia (Tables 4 and 5) depend on the fungal strain Absidia, Gongronells, Rhizopus, etc. fermentation type SSF and SMF (batch fermentation, fed batch fermentation and continuous fermentation) fermentation medium composition carbon source and concentration, nitrogen source and concentration, and metal ions and their concentration pH of the fermentation medium fermentation conditions inoculum size, harvesting time, fermentation temperature, inlet air flow rate and chitosan extraction procedure [5, 7, 8, 50, 54, 58, 61]. Chitosans obtained from different species of fungi have been tested in various applications (Table 6). 

Whatever method of manufacturing is used, the importance of process control and quality through every step cannot be overemphasized. The specihc steps include (a) monitoring and controlling the production process from stock culture stage through inoculum preparahon, (b) seed, pilot plant, and production... 

Other factors which are very important but have not yet been standardized are the composition and quality of the inoculum. Composition relates to the species of bacteria and other micro-organisms, including the bio-coenotic aspect which will degrade the surfactant under consideration. The quality of the inoculum is mainly described by its status of adaptation and acclimatization and therefore by the enzymatic activities and capabilities of the microbial cell. The inoculum can usually only be defined in terms of its origin and metabolic history. 

Measure the quality of the inoculum soil for percentage of solid, pH, moisture content, carbon/nitrogen ratio, temperature. Carbon/nitrogen ratio should be approximately 40 1. 

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