Bioreactor studies on the production of bacitracin by mutant strain of bacillus licheniformis BLS-NTTG 4

The present study deals with the production of antibiotic bacitracin by Bacillus licheniformis using submerged fermentation technique in stirred fermenter. Altogether 15 samples were isolated from local habitat such as Government College Lahore. Of all the culture tested BLS 13 gave maximum titer (81 plus minus li. Micro /ml) in the fermentation broth. To develop the process for the production of antibiotic bacitracin agro industrial wastes used as a sole source of carbon in different fermentation medias (M1-M10). The culture of Bacillus licheniformis BLS 13 was improved by UV irradiation by exposing the cells of BLS-UV 16 mutated for 60 minutes gave the maximum production i.e. 129.1 plus minus 0.7 i. Micro/ml. The parental strain (i.e. BLS 13 was also improved by using chemical mutagen NTTG which enhance the antibiotic activity, and the mutated strain number i.e. BLS-NTTG 4 gave the maximum production 143.0 plus minus 1.0 i. Micro/ml. In stirred fermenter chemically mutated strain was used to check the productivity of bacitracin in stirred fermenter was increased up to 156 plus minus 1 i. micro /ml. (author)