Cellulase production byAcidothermus cellulolyticus

Acidothermus cellulolyticus, an isolate from hot springs at Yellowstone National Park, produced cellulase enzyme when grown in cellobiose-containing medium. The cellulase production, cell growth, and cellobiose degradation rates of batch culture in 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, and 10.0 g/L of cellobiose as a substrate were studied. The specific growth rates were measured, and the μmax and Ks values based on these data were 0.2 h−1 and 0.3 g cellobiose/L using the Monod equation. The maximum cellulase activities (21–69 U/L) and volumetric productivities (between 0.92 and 2.49 U/L-h) were proportional to the concentration of cellobiose.