Transfer and consumption of oxygen during the cultivation of the ectomycorrhizal fungus Rhizopogon nigrescens in an airlift bioreactor

The study had the objective of examining the aspects involved in the cultivation of ectomycorrhizal fungi for the production of commercially sustainable inoculant to attend the demands of the seedling nursery industry. It focused on certain parameters, such as the oxygen consumption levels, during the cultivation of the ectomycorrhizal fungus Rhizopogon nigrescens CBMAI 1472, which was performed in a 5-L airlift bioreactor. The dynamic method was employed to determine the volumetric coefficient for the oxygen transfer (kLa) and the specific oxygen uptake rate (QO2). The results indicate that specific growth rates (μX) and oxygen consumption decline rapidly with time, affected mainly by increases in biomass concentration (X). Increases in X are obtained primarily by increases in the size of pellets that are formed, altering, consequently, the cultivation dynamics. This is the result of natural increases in transferring resistance that are observed in these environments. Therefore, to avoid critical conditions that affect viability and the productivity of the process, particular settings are discussed.