Microbial Growth kinetics

- Autocatalytic reaction: The rate of growth is directly related to cell concentration

substrates + cells → extracellular products + more cells

∑S + X → ∑P + nX

S: substrate concentration (g/L); X: cell mass concentration (g/L);

P: product concentration (g/L); n: increased number of biomass.

Net specific growth rate (1/time):

t: the time

μnet is net specific growth rate (h-1). The net specific growth is difference between gross specific
growth rate, μg (h-1) and rate of loss of cell mass due to cell death or endogenous
metabolism (kd h-1)

1 Shuler and Kargi, 2002 Sandip Bankar

 Batch growth kinetics
Yield coefficients: based on the amount of consumption of another material.

Yx/s =0.4-0.6 g/g glucose

Yx/O2=0.9 – 1.4 g/g O2

2 Shuler and Kargi, 2002 Sandip Bankar

 Lag  phase Log  Phase Stationary  Phase
Number of Bacteria
 
Death Phase
Logarithmic Scale

μm S
μ = KS + S
Time

Thursday November 17, 2016

3 Sandip Bankar
 Unstructured non segregated model
Monod model: Most commonly used model for cell growth
μm S
μ=
KS + S

μ : specific (cell) growth rate

μm : maximum specific growth rate at saturating substrate concentrations
KS : saturation constant (S = KS when μ = μm / 2)
S : substrate concentration

By Trp-204 - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18352912

4 Sandip Bankar
Kinetic pattern of growth and product formation

Growth associated Mixed growth associated Non growth associated

5 Shuler and Kargi, 2002 Sandip Bankar

 Production kinetics
Microbial product classified as:

Growth associated

Non-growth associated qp = β= constant

Mixed-growth associated qp = αμ+ β

Ludeking-Piret equation – If α=0, the product is non growth associated, and if β=0, the product
is growth associated and consequently α equal to Yp/x

6 Sandip Bankar
 Problem (Shuler and Kargi, pp 200)

A simple batch fermentation of an aerobic bacterium growing on methanol gave

the result shown in table. Calculate:
Time (h) X (g/l) S (g/l)
0 0,2 9.23
• maximum growth rate (μmax)
2 0,211 9.21
4 0,305 9.07
• Yield on substrate (Yx/s)
8 0,98 8.03
10 1,77 6.8
• Mass doubling time (td)
12 3,2 4.6
14 5,6 0.92
• Saturation constant (Ks)
16 6,15 0.0077
18 6,2 0
Sandip Bankar
 Calculate μmax
• When μ is constant; ln X-ln X0=μt

• Plot ln X Vs t graph

• The greatest slope occurs in linear region

• Add trend line and get an equation - y = 0.2331x

• μmax =

Sandip Bankar
 Calculate Yx/s
(6.2-0.2)g cells/L
• Yx/s=-△X/△S = (0 − 9.23)gsubstrate / L
= 0.65 g cells/g substrate

Calculate mass doubling time (td)

• Mass doubling time is time required to double the biomass during fermentation
!X$
ln # & = µt td occurs when X=2X0
" X0 %
ln 2
Therefore ln 2= μtd or td = =?
µ

Sandip Bankar
 Calculate Saturation constant (Ks)
• lag phase is up until 4 hr. Hence Monod kinetics can be applied between
t= 4 till t=14
μm S
μ=
KS + S

0.3"

• Plot X Vs t graph and determine dx/dt or 0.25"

y"="$0.0114x2"+"0.1218x"$"0.0835"

0.2"

Growth'rate'(u)'
X
ln = µ net t 0.15"

X0 0.1"

0.05"

• Ks= S at μ=1/2 μmax= ? g/L 0"

0" 1" 2" 3" 4" 5" 6" 7" 8"
Substrate'concentra2on'

Sandip Bankar