Co-Cultivation of <em>Komagataeibacter xylinus </em>MS2530 with Different Yeast Strains. Production and Characterization of Bacterial Cellulose Films

Bacterial cellulose (BC) is a biocompatible, non-toxic, non-cytotoxic, non-allergenic, biodegradable, chemically pure (which allows to significantly reduce environmental pollution), unique biopolymer with high elasticity, flexibility, plasticity, water-absorbing and water-retaining properties. BC is a promising biopolymer for various applications. However, its high cost and low productivity hinder large-scale production of BC. The mutant strain Komagataeibacter xylinus MS2530 obtained by us reduced the fermentation time from 14 to 5-7 days. In order to reduce the cost of the resulting BC, brewing waste without sterilization was used as a nutrient medium (while costs are significantly reduced under production conditions). The use of this medium led to an increase in the BC yield by 2-2.5 times compared to the classic HS medium. Various BC modification methods are used to increase the yield and improve the most important properties of BC. In order to modify the BC obtained by us, the method of co-fermentation with different yeast strains was used. As a result of co-fermentation, the yield of BC increased by 4-5 times. The obtained BC and modified BC were studied using SEM, IR-Fourier, etc. The study showed a change in the microstructure and physical properties of the obtained biofilms, which can contribute to the expansion of their application areas. The results we obtained can become a prerequisite for organizing large-scale production of BC and BC biocomposites.