Modeling and optimization of microbial production of xylitol

The application of modeling approaches with computational simulation and analysis has an insightful effect on the process development of microbial products. This chapter aims to cover the trending strategies employed for modeling the biotechnological process and optimization of process conditions to achieve enhanced yield in biotechnological production. A case study is presented to understand the modeling and optimization techniques - microbial production of xylitol. The basics of modeling biotechnological processes, including the classification of mathematical models were described. Various works on xylitol production related to mathematical modeling, such as kinetic models for growth, substrate uptake, and product formation were assessed. The different types of modeling, including unstructured, structured, and cybernetic, were discussed. This chapter also discusses the optimization techniques used in the microbial production process with xylitol production as a case study. Optimization techniques including one-factorat- a-time, design of experiments, namely full factorial design, fractional factorial design, Taguchi design, Central composite design, and Box-Behnken designs were discussed along with the analysis part in relation to process conditions such as temperature, substrate concentration, pH, agitation, and aeration. This chapter will provide an overview of various modeling approaches for the biotechnological process and will familiarize the reader with different optimization techniques.