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Substrate inhibition kinetics for microbial growth and synthesis of poly-β-hydroxybutyric acid by Alcaligenes eutrophus ATCC 17697

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Summary

The specific growth rate of Alcaligenes eutrophus ATCC 17697 was observed to depend upon the ratio of ammonium sulfate (nitrogen) and fructose (carbon) concentration used for production of poly-β-hydroxybutyric acid (PHB). The growth rate was stimulated at low concentration ratios and inhibited at higher ratios. A mathematical expression was then proposed to fit the substrate inhibition kinetics:

$$\mu = \mu _m \frac{S}{{K_s + S}}\left[ {1 - \left( {\frac{S}{{S_m }}} \right)^n } \right]$$

Together with the Luedeking-Piret product formation equation, the proposed model describes the experimental data as well as literature data, for substrate consumption, growth of A. eutrophus, and poly-β-hydroxybutyric acid formation.

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Abbreviations

a :

constant in Eq. (14) (h-1)

k 1 :

kinetic parameter in Eq. (7) (gprod/gcell)

k 2 :

kinetic parameter in Eq. (7) (gprod/gcell·h)

k 3 :

kinetic parameter in Eq. (8) (gsub/gcell)

k 4 :

kinetic parameter in Eq. (11) (gsub/gcell)

k 5 :

kinetic parameter in Eq. (11) (gsub/gcell·h)

k 6 :

kinetic parameter in Eq. (9) (gsub/gcell·h)

k 7 :

kinetic parameter in Eq. (9) (gsub/gcell)

k 8 :

kinetic parameter in Eq. (9) (gsub/gprod)

K s :

saturation constant in Eqs. (3)–(6)

K *s :

saturation constant (Table 2) (g/l)

K si :

inhibition constant in Eq. (3)

m :

exponent in Eq. (4)

n :

exponent in Eqs. (5) and (6)

p :

constant in Eq. (14) (gprod/gcell·h)

P :

PHB concentration (g/l)

S :

ratio of (NH4)2SO4 to fructose concentration

S f :

concentration of fructose (g/l)

S m :

ratio of (NH4)2SO4 to fructose concentration at which specific growth rate to zero

S *m :

maximum (NH4)2SO4 concentration at which specific growth rate is zero (Table 2) (g/l)

X :

total biomass concentration (g/l)

X R :

residual biomass concentration (g/l)

X m :

maximum biomass concentration attained in the stationary phase (g/l)

μ:

specific growth rate (h-1)

μm :

maximum specific growth rate (h-1)

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biotechnology Research Institute, National Research Council of Canada, 6100 Royalmount Avenue, H4P 2R2, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

    A. Mulchandani, J. H. T. Luong & C. Groom

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  1. A. Mulchandani
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  2. J. H. T. Luong
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  3. C. Groom
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Mulchandani, A., Luong, J.H.T. & Groom, C. Substrate inhibition kinetics for microbial growth and synthesis of poly-β-hydroxybutyric acid by Alcaligenes eutrophus ATCC 17697. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 30, 11–17 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00255990

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00255990

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