This study aimed to optimize the culture conditions (agitation speed, aeration rate and stirrer number) of hyaluronic acid production by Streptococcus zooepidemicus. Two optimization algorithms were used for comparison: response surface methodology (RSM) and radial basis function neural network coupling quantum-behaved particle swarm optimization algorithm (RBF-QPSO). In RBF-QPSO approach, RBF is employed to model the microbial HA production and QPSO algorithm is used to find the optimal culture conditions with the established RBF estimator as the objective function. The predicted maximum HA yield by RSM and RBF-QPSO was 5.27 and 5.62 g/l, respectively, while a maximum HA yield of 5.21 and 5.58 g/l was achieved in the validation experiments under the optimal culture conditions obtained by RSM and RBF-QPSO. respectively. It was indicated that both models provided similar quality predictions for the above three independent variables in terms of HA yield, but RBF model gives a slightly better fit to the measured data compared to RSM model. This work shows that the combination of RBF neural network with QPSO algorithm has good predictability and accuracy for bioprocess optimization and may be helpful to the other industrial bioprocesses optimization to improve productivity. (C) 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.