More Than Meets the Eye in Bacterial Cellulose: Biosynthesis, Bioprocessing, and Applications in Advanced Fiber Composites

• Published in: Macromolecular bioscience Vol. 14; no. 1; pp. 10 - 32
• Main Authors: Lee, Koon-Yang, Buldum, Gizem, Mantalaris, Athanasios, Bismarck, Alexander
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-01-2014; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Bacteria; bacterial cellulose; bioengineering; Bioreactors; Cellulose; Cellulose - biosynthesis; Culture Media; Fermentation; Genetic Engineering - methods; genetic modification; Gluconacetobacter xylinus - genetics; Gluconacetobacter xylinus - metabolism; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Industrial Microbiology - instrumentation; Industrial Microbiology - methods; Membrane reactors; nanocellulose; nanocomposites; Nanocomposites - chemistry; Nanofibers - chemistry; Temperature; nanocellulose; bioreactors; genetic modification; bacterial cellulose; nanocomposites; bioengineering
• ISSN: 1616-5187; 1616-5195
• DOI: 10.1002/mabi.201300298

Bacterial cellulose (BC) nanofibers are one of the stiffest organic materials produced by nature. It consists of pure cellulose without the impurities that are commonly found in plant‐based cellulose. This review discusses the metabolic pathways of cellulose‐producing bacteria and the genetic pathways of Acetobacter xylinum. The fermentative production of BC and the bioprocess parameters for the cultivation of bacteria are also discussed. The influence of the composition of the culture medium, pH, temperature, and oxygen content on the morphology and yield of BC are reviewed. In addition, the progress made to date on the genetic modification of bacteria to increase the yield of BC and the large‐scale production of BC using various bioreactors, namely static and agitated cultures, stirred tank, airlift, aerosol, rotary, and membrane reactors, is reviewed. The challenges in commercial scale production of BC are thoroughly discussed and the efficiency of various bioreactors is compared. In terms of the application of BC, particular emphasis is placed on the utilization of BC in advanced fiber composites to manufacture the next generation truly green, sustainable and renewable hierarchical composites.
Bacterial cellulose (BC) is one of the stiffest organic materials produced by nature. It is a type of highly crystalline cellulose produced by bacteria as nanofibers inherently. BC has found its way in various biomedical applications and serves as excellent nanoreinforcement for polymers to manufacture high performance advanced fiber composites.