Elia, Noelia M.; Nokes, Sue E.; and Flythe, Michael D., "Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) Fermentation by Clostridium thermocellum and Clostridium saccharoperbutylacetonicum Sequential Culture in a Continuous Flow Reactor" (2016). Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications. 12. Abstract: The study was conducted to evaluate fermentation by Clostridium thermocellum and C. saccharoperbutylacetonicum in a continuous-flow, high-solids reactor. Liquid medium was continuously flowed

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... ough switchgrass (2 mm particle size) at one of three flow rates: 83.33 mL h −1 (2 L d −1 ), 41.66 mL h −1 (1 L d −1 ), and 20.833 mL h −1 (0.5 L d −1 ). The cellulolytic phase was initiated by culturing C. thermocellum (63 °C, 24 h). The temperature was decreased (35) and C. saccharoperbutylacetonicum was inoculated. When metabolism decreased (96 h), the temperature was increased (63 °C; 24 h) to permit cellulosome production by C. thermocellum. The C. saccharoperbutylacetonicum was re-inoculated and the temperature returned to 35 °C. The average gross production over 9 d was 1480 mg total acids (formic, acetic lactic butyric), 207 mg total solvents (acetone, butanol, ethanol), and average dry matter disappearance was 2.8 g from 25 g non-pretreated switchgrass. There was no effect of flow rate on the product formation. These results indicate that C. thermocellum can survive and produce cellulases with C. saccharoperbutylacetonicumin a continuous-flow, high-solids reactor temperature with temperature cycling.