Cell immobilization plays an important role in biocatalysis for high-value products. It is necessary to maintain the viability of immobilized cells for bioconversion using viable cells as biocatalysts. In this study, a novel polyester nonwoven chemostat was designed for cell immobilization to investigate biofilm formation and the dynamic balance between adsorption and desorption of cells on polyester nonwoven. The polyester nonwoven was suitable for cell immobilization, and the cell numbers on the polyester nonwoven can reach 6.5 ± 0.38 log CFU/mL. After adding the polyester nonwoven to the chemostat, the fluctuation phenomenon of free bacterial cells occurred. The reason for this phenomenon was the balance between adsorption and desorption of bacterial cells on the polyester nonwoven. Bacterial cells could adhere to the surface of polyester nonwoven via secreting extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) to form biofilms. As the maturation of biofilms, some dead cells inside the biofilms can cause the detachment of biofilms. This process of continuous adsorption and desorption of cells can ensure that the polyester nonwoven chemostat has lasting biological activity.

Graphical Abstract