Internet of Things (IoT)-Driven Fermentation System for Enhanced Cordycepin Production in Cordyceps militaris (Ascomycetes) under Hypoxic Conditions

<p>Cordycepin, known for its tumor-suppressive and antiviral properties, has garnered attention due to its therapeutic and biological potential. Current <i>Cordyceps militaris</i> - based cordycepin production methods involve time-consuming and cost-intensive solid-state fermentation. Using an internet of things (IoT) architecture, we developed an active air-feed regulation fermentation system (AAFRFS) to detect CO₂ emitted during <i>C. militaris </i>submerged fermentation. Equipped with a microcontroller unit and proportional-integral-derivative plus pulse-width modulation technology, the AAFRFS also regulates the air supply, inducing hypoxic stress to enhance cordycepin production. Our system uploads all fermentation data to a cloud database. After 14 d of fermentation (volume 5 L) at 3000 ppm metabolic CO₂, cordycepin levels exceeded 1.44 g/L (yield: 103.2 mg/L/d). Hypoxic stress promoted earlier cordycepin production. Utilizing big data with an alert mechanism enabled the early detection of microbial contamination within a 12- to 24-h period. Principal component analysis revealed a positive correlation between temperature and CO₂ concentration, suggesting that temperature fluctuations likely affect the respiration rate of <i>C. militaris</i>, thereby altering CO₂ levels. Our findings may help optimize fermentation strategies not only for <i>C. militaris</i> but also for other fungal strains.
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