High cell density propionic acid fermentation with an acid tolerant strain of Propionibacterium acidipropionici

Propionic acid is an important chemical with wide applications and its production via fermentation is of great interest. However, economic production of bio-based propionic acid requires high product titer, yield, and productivity in the fermentation. A highly efficient and stable high cell density (HCD) fermentation process with cell recycle by centrifugation was developed for propionic acid production from glucose using an acid-tolerant strain of Propionibacterium acidipropionici, which had a higher specific growth rate, productivity, and acid tolerance compared to the wild type ATCC 4875. The sequential batch HCD fermentation at pH 6.5 produced propionic acid at a high titer of ∼40 g/L and productivity of 2.98 g/L h, with a yield of ∼0.44 g/g. The product yield increased to 0.53-0.62 g/g at a lower pH of 5.0-5.5, which, however, decreased the productivity to 1.28 g/L h. A higher final propionic acid titer of >55 g/L with a productivity of 2.23 g/L h was obtained in fed-batch HCD fermentation at pH 6.5. A 3-stage simulated fed-batch process in serum bottles produced 49.2 g/L propionic acid with a yield of 0.53 g/g and productivity of 0.66 g/L h. These productivities, yields and propionic acid titers were among the highest ever obtained in free-cell propionic acid fermentation.