Monday, May 2, 2011
Grand Ballroom C-D, 2nd fl (Sheraton Seattle)
A progress in establishing more efficient arrangement for technological solubilization of solid cellulose wastes could be achieved using cellulolytic biofilms. Such a direct colonization of these wastes by cellulolytic microflora is generally mediated by nonspecific, binding interactions between microbial cell and this (solid) carrier. In this context, the effect hydrophobicity of the outermost cell surface on the formation of primary monolayer of attached cells was investigated using a model cellulosic carriers and image analysis to quantify this process. Bacterial and yeast cellulolytic strains were tested to elucidate the effect of cultivation conditions on cell hydrophobicity and cellulase activity if different cellulosic substrates were utilized. We have found that certain extent of hydrophobicity of used cell population determines its capacity to colonize solid cellulose and is useful predictor o this process.