DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION My fermentation apparatus comprises a fermentation section 1 with an upper contiguous sieve tray absorber section 2.
The drawing, designed to assist one skilled in the art, illustrates the general overall apparatus including fed streams and controls suitable for employing the fermentation apparatus in an aerobic fermentation process.
The fermentation section 1 receives a feed of a carbon and energy source, such as an oxygenated hydrocarbon having 1 to 30 carbon atoms, preferably an oxygenated hydrocarbon having such as 1 to 10 carbon atoms, more preferably a lower alcohol, such as methanol 2, molecular oxygen source 3, which can be air, enriched air, or substantially pure oxygen, or combination, usually feeding via nozzles 4, such as atomizing nozzles, into the lower area of the fermentor section 1.
Such molecular oxygen source 3 and carbon and energy source 2 are shown fed separately, but optionally can be fed together, if desired, through a single input line (not shown).
The fermentation section 1 preferably is supplied with cooling water 5 feeding cooling water into and out of 5' cooling means such as a jacket system as shown, or into an internal coil cooling system means (not shown), if desired, or both.
The fermentation section 1 preferably is equipped with motor driven 6 stirring means 6' so as to maintain effectively continuous flux of the aqueous ferment in the fermentation section 1 of the fermentation apparatus.
The fermentation section 1 has means 7 for feeding a nitrogen source, such as ammonia, ammonium hydroxide, or the like, which can be fed manually (not shown), or can be controlled as shown by means of a pH sensor controller 8 which monitors the pH of the aqueous fermentation liquor in the fermentation section 1, produces a signal in response thereto, to control the rate of input of ammonia as needed.
The input of carbon and energy source such as methanol 2 can be controlled manually, fed continuously, or can be controlled as shown more precisely by a dissolved oxygen controller 9 monitoring on the fermentation section liquor, if desired
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Molecular Biology 
