This presentation will describe a new application
of biotechnology to the production of one of the most widely used
biopolymers, cellulose. The new application exploits microbially
derived cellulose on an industrial scale. The gram negative bacterium,
Acetobacter xylinum is the microorganism of choice since
it synthesizes copious amounts of cellulose of unsurpassed purity,
mechanical strength and absorbability. The kinetics and potential
efficiency of microbial cellulose production as well as goals,
obstacles, and future strategies will be presented. Optimal fermentation
pathways in relation to the final cellulose product characteristic
will be described. The importance of molecular biology and genetic
engineering for intermediate and long term strategies of the cellulose
industry will be discussed.
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Last modified 27 October 2005.
This document is maintained by Dr. R. Malcolm Brown, Jr.