Bacterial cellulose (BC) refers to a biopolymer which can be extracellularly produced in the form of a thin membrane or thicker flexible surface by plethora of bacterial species and can be the perfect candidate for the development of green functional materials. In this research the production of bacterial cellulose by the Komagataeibacter rhaeticus strain UNIWA AAK2 was studied using three different nitrogen sources (peptone, urea, ammonium sulfate) and different C/N ratios (~20:1, 30:1). In trials using peptone and ammonium sulfate, BC production and substrate consumption were satisfactory, however, urea did not favor BC production. Maximum BC production was achieved in trials using peptone in C/N ratio of 30 and ammonium sulfate in C/N ratio of 20:1. In conclusion, Komagataeibacter rhaeticus strain UNIWA AAK2 could be described as a promising candidate for BC production and also its use could be studied for the valorization of plethora of agro-industrial by- products, enchasing circular economy and sustainable practices.

Viktor Hoda*, Danai Ioanna Koukoumaki, Dimitris Sarris ; Laboratory of Physico-Chemical and Biotechnological Valorization of Food By-Products Department of Food Science and Nutrition, School of the Environment, University of the Aegean