Rhamnolipid production by Pseudomonas aeruginosa LBI growing on soapstock as the sole carbon source

A new bacterial strain, was isolated from petroleum contaminated soil, identified and named Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain LBI. The new strain produced surface-active rhamnolipids by batch cultivation in a mineral salts medium with soapstock as the sole carbon source. Biosurfactant production increased after nitrogen depletion. The maximum rhamnolipid concentration, 15.9 g/l, was reached when it was incubated in a bioreactor with a constant K(L)a of 169.9 h(-1). (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.