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A kinetic model for microbial growth on liquid hydrocarbons
Author(s) -
Chakravarty M.,
Singh H. D.,
Baruah J. N.
Publication year - 1975
Publication title -
biotechnology and bioengineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.136
H-Index - 189
eISSN - 1097-0290
pISSN - 0006-3592
DOI - 10.1002/bit.260170308
Subject(s) - dissolution , alkane , bacterial growth , exponential growth , substrate (aquarium) , growth model , kinetic energy , chemistry , metabolite , kinetics , aqueous solution , thermodynamics , hydrocarbon , organic chemistry , ecology , biology , bacteria , biochemistry , physics , mathematics , mathematical economics , genetics , quantum mechanics
A kinetic model is presented to explain microbial growth using liquid n‐alkanes as substrate. The model is based on the assumption that growth occurs on the soluble alkane and that the metabolite produced by the growing cells helps the dissolution of liquid alkanes in the aqueous medium. Growth curves based on that model fit well with growth data for batch and continuous culture reported by various authors. The model also explains the differences between the relative length of exponential and linear phases of growth reported earlier.