Structural investigations of microbial cellulose produced in stationary and agitated culture

Structural characteristics of microbial cellulose synthesized by two different methods have been compared using FT-IR and X-ray diffraction techniques. Cellulose synthesized by Acetobacter xylinum NQ-5 strain from agitated culture conditions is characterized by a lower 1, mass fraction than cellulose that was produced statically. Such a decrease was in good correlation with smaller crystallite sizes of microfibrils produced in agitated culture. Formation of characteristic cellulose spheres during agitation has been investigated by various electron and light microscopic methods. On this basis, a hypothetical mechanism of sphere formation and cell arrangement in the agitated culture has been proposed. During agitation, cells are stacked together in organized groups around the outer surface of the cellulose sphere.