The production of 1

3-propanediol from glycerol by Klebsiella pneumoniae encapsulated in NaCS/PDMDAAC capsules with a liquid core was investigated.The cell growth

glycerol consumption

1

3-propanediol accumulation by encapsulated K.pneumoniae were compared with free culture in flasks.The immobilized K.pneumoniae was also cultured in a packed bed reactor.The biomass in microcapsules reached 6 g·L-1

far higher than 2.5 g·L-1 in flask for free culture.Glycerol was consumed completely in 12 h for immobilized cells

compared with 27 h for free cells.The encapsulated cells produced 1

3-propanediol of 13 g·L-1 in fermentation broth

lower than 17.5 g·L-1 in free culture.If 1

3-propanediol in microcapsules was considered

the yield (YP/S) for immobilized cell was 0.613 mol·mol-1

which was higher than 0.545 mol·mol-1 for free culture.For batch fermentations in the packed bed reactor

the method of increasing substrate concentration was adopted to increase the final 1

3-propanediol concentration

and the maximal 1

3-propanediol concentration reached 58.1 g·L-1 with molar yield of 0.596 mol·mol-1 and productivity of 5.28 g·L-1·h-1 at the initial glycerol concentration of 120 g·L-1.Six batches of fermentation in packed bed reactor was carried out and the results could be reproduced.