Fig. 8

Production of acetate (a), lactate (b) and ethanol (c) by the recombinant strains of R. cellulolyticum carrying pCel9A and p0 grown on microcrystalline cellulose. Forty-five-mL mineral media supplemented with Sigmacell 20 microcrystalline cellulose (5 g/L) was inoculated (1/90) with cellobiose-grown cultures of the various recombinant strains. 0.5-mL samples were taken at specific times, centrifuged, and 20-µL aliquots of the supernatant were analyzed by HPLC for ethanol, lactate and acetate content. The data show the mean of three independent experiments and the bars designate the standard deviation. The pellet was also analyzed for residual cellulose content by HPAEC-PAD after complete hydrolysis into glucose using sulfuric acid, as well as total protein content using the Lowry method, and the data are reported in Additional file 1.