Hydrogen production by immobilized cells of aciduric Enterobacter aerogenes strain HO-39☆

Abstract Cell immobilization of Enterobacter aerogenes strain HO-39 in agar gel or on porous glass beads was effective for hydrogen production in batch cultures of cells immobilized by the entrapment and adsorption methods. Stirring of the culture was indispensable for effective hydrogen production using cells immobilized in agar gel. However, relatively good hydrogen-production performance was obtained with cells immobilized on porous glass beads even without stirring. In continuous cultures without pH control, the hydrogen evolution rate and hydrogen yield from glucose with cells immobilized on porous glass beads in a column reactor were superior to the rates and yields obtained with cells immobilized in agar gel in a stirred reactor. A high hydrogen evolution rate of about 850 ml/l-culture/h was obtained at a retention time of 1.0 h in the column reactor.