Kinetics of Microbial Growth

Unlimited growth
Assuming td = 0.33 h, in 48 h, one cell would become If a cell weighs 10 g, then the total would be
-12

Factors Determining Growth & Synthesis of Products Absolute Factors

Nutrients; pH; Temperature; Oxygen

2.33 X 10 cells 2.23 X 1031 g

43

Rate-Determining Factors
Temperature; pH; Mass Transfer; Energy Transfer

This would be 4000 times the weight of the earth!

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Kinetics of Batch Culture

Growth Rate, rx = =
x t

Kinetics of Batch Culture 2

Phases of growth in batch culture

Deceleration Maximum population

Exponential

rx x

Units

e.g.

g g-1 cells mL-1h-1

Specific Growth Rate

Specific Growth Rate,

Lag

dx dt

Units

e.g.

g cells mL-1h-1

Acceleration

or as t becomes infinitesimally small

Ln Population Size

Time
Dr. Clem Kuek ZIP/Lect+Prac/IndusMicrobiol/Lectures/GrowthKinetics.doc 3 Dr. Clem Kuek ZIP/Lect+Prac/IndusMicrobiol/Lectures/GrowthKinetics.doc 4

Death

max

Kinetics of Batch Culture 3

Kinetics of Batch Culture 4 Integrating equation 2.1 gives

The exponential phase may be described by

Cell Number Exponential Phase

dx
where

10000

dt

= x

xt = x0 et
where xo xt e = [original biomass] = [biomass after time t] = base of natural log

(2.2)

Log Cell Number

10000

Exponential Phase

(2.1)

8000

x = [microbial biomass] t = time (h) = specific growth rate (h-1)

6000

1000

4000

Taking natural log, equation 2.2 becomes

2000

ln xt = ln x0 + t
1 4 7 10
Time

100

13

16

Thus, plot of ln X vs. t gives straight line in the exponential phase, slope of which =
5 Dr. Clem Kuek

10 1 4 7 10
Time

13

16
6

Dr. Clem Kuek

ZIP/Lect+Prac/IndusMicrobiol/Lectures/GrowthKinetics.doc

ZIP/Lect+Prac/IndusMicrobiol/Lectures/GrowthKinetics.doc

Determining x from data

Time (h)
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Determining rx from data 2

X (g L-1)
0.100 0.134 0.180 0.241 0.323 0.433 0.581 0.778 1.040 1.400 1.870 2.500 3.350 4.490 6.000 8.000 10.70 14.10 17.90 17.90 17.90

S (g L-1)
40.00 39.93 39.83 39.70 39.50 39.30 38.97 38.50 38.00 37.20 36.20 34.80 32.90 30.50 27.20 22.80 17.10 9.60 1.11 1.11 1.11

Growth Rate, rx
1. Hand-drawn tangent y rx = x Numerical differentiation
Difference between values on either side of data point

2.

rx = x x t t
3 2 3

3.

Curve fitting r x = ln x ln x t t
2

3 3

] x

Dr. Clem Kuek

ZIP/Lect+Prac/IndusMicrobiol/Lectures/GrowthKinetics.doc

Dr. Clem Kuek

ZIP/Lect+Prac/IndusMicrobiol/Lectures/GrowthKinetics.doc

Determining from data

Using the values for growth determined as described previously,

Determining max from data

1. By tabulation of values for through the exponential phase of the culture.
Time (h)

Specific Growth Rate may be estimated by the relationship

x
(g L-1) 0.100 0.134 0.180 0.241 0.323 0.433 0.581 0.778 1.040 1.400 1.870 2.500 3.350 4.490 6.000 8.000 10.70 14.10

However, in batch culture, does not remain constant. Substrate concentration is a major affecting factor.

Specific Growth Rate

rx = x

max

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

(h-1)* 0.040 0.054 0.072 0.096 0.129 0.172 0.230 0.311 0.415 0.550 0.740 0.995 1.325 1.755 2.350 3.050 3.600

rx

= rx/x
0.298 0.300 0.299 0.297 0.298 0.296 0.296 0.299 0.296 0.294 0.296 0.297 0.295 0.293 0.294 0.285 0.255

max

Substrate concentration

*rx via numerical differentiation.

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Determining max from data 2 2. Lineweaver-Burke plot dx r = dt S x = K +S S r = x K +S

x
m

Determining max from data 3

Compare Thus, when

= Ks 1 + 1 S
m

with

y = mx + c
S

is plotted against 1 , we get

1
rx = x
Intercept 1 = max

Note large number of points in this area

Taking the reciprocal and since x 1 K +S = = r S K1 S = + S S K 1 1 = + S

s x
m

Slope =

Ks max

1 S
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Yield factor Y
Y = the ratio of product or cell quantity resulting from a certain quantity of input
e.g. Yx/s Yield of cell weight per unit weight substrate utilized Yp/n Yield of product weight per unit weight of nitrogen utilized

Determination of Yield Factor on carbon substrate, Yx/s 2 Thus, when x is plotted against x , we get

rs

rx

r x

Note large number of points in this area

Determination of Yield Factor on carbon substrate, Yx/s

rs = rs + m s Y x
x s

Intercept = ms

Slope =

1 Yx/s

rs = 1 rx + m s x Y x
x s

where

rs ms

= rate of consumption of carbon substrate = maintenance coefficient on carbon substrate

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r x
14

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The Importance of

max

The Importance of the Yield Factor Y

Y indicates the degree of efficiency of the conversion of substrates into desired products. Attainment of efficient Y translates directly into economic efficiency, and thus productivity. Since Y is determined by the
genetics of the microorganism conditions of culture nature of the input (substrate)

For processes where maximal growth rates are diserable, attainment of max in culture is important. Since max is determined by the
genetics of the microorganism conditions of culture

Attainment of max has implications for both determinants.

For other processes, identification of max is important so that it can be avoided

e.g. in the production of secondary metabolites.
Dr. Clem Kuek

Attainment of an efficient Y has implications for the determinants.

15 Dr. Clem Kuek ZIP/Lect+Prac/IndusMicrobiol/Lectures/GrowthKinetics.doc 16

ZIP/Lect+Prac/IndusMicrobiol/Lectures/GrowthKinetics.doc