Accumulation of organic acids in cultivations of Neisseria meningitidis C.

Aiming at the industrial production of serogroup C meningococcal vaccine, different experimental protocols were tested to cultivate Neisseria meningitidis C and to investigate the related organic acid release. Correlations were established between specific rates of acetic acid and lactic acid accumulation and specific growth rate, during cultivations carried out on the Frantz medium in a 13 l bioreactor at 35 degrees C, 0.5 atm, 400 rpm and air flowrate of 2 l min(-1).