Abstract

Bacterial cellulose (BC) is a valuable biopolymer synthesized by microbial consortia such as SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast). Its production is influenced by substrate availability and oxygen exposure, yet predictive tools for optimizing fermentation remain limited. This study integrates experimental and computational approaches to investigate BC formation under varied sucrose concentrations and culture surface areas. SCOBY cultures were prepared under controlled conditions with sucrose levels of 10, 30, and 70 g/L and culture vessels ranging from 20 to 200 cm² to modulate oxygen availability. Bacterial growth, substrate consumption, and pellicle formation were monitored over a 120-hour fermentation period. A differential equation model incorporating Monod kinetics, logistic biomass growth, and a surface-area-dependent oxygen factor was developed, calibrated, and validated against experimental measurements. Results indicate that BC synthesis exhibits strong dependence on both substrate concentration and surface area, with metabolic saturation observed at high sucrose levels and oxygen-limited growth at small surface areas. Model predictions closely matched experimental data, with errors below 8%, accurately capturing substrate-limited, saturation, and oxygen-dependent growth regimes. The DEM provides a robust framework for simulating BC production dynamics, allowing for the optimization of fermentation parameters to maximize pellicle yield. These findings demonstrate the synergistic role of carbon source and oxygen availability in BC biosynthesis and highlight the predictive utility of integrated experimental–computational approaches for designing efficient microbial cellulose production systems.