GATE HELPLINE

Growth kinetics of Bacteria in Batch culture 3 4

5
Log cell number/ mL

Time (h) Growth curve for a bacterial population is obtained from the batch culture where the nutrient is added only once. 1) Lag phase Occurs immediately after the inoculation and is a period of adaption of cells to a new environment. Microorganism reorganizes their molecular constituents when they are transferred to a new medium. Cell mass increases but not cell number density. Pseudolag phase occurs when the inoculum is small and has low fraction of cells that are viable. This phase may prolong because of low nutrient concentration or growth factors or even the aged cells will proceed this lag phase for long. Diauxic growth is defined as the multiple lag phases occur when the medium contains more than one carbon source. This is caused by a shift in metabolic pathways in the middle of the growth cycle. 2) Exponential phase (logarithmic growth phase) Cells adjusted to the new environment starts to multiple faster and therefore both cell mass and cell number increases exponentially with time. Balanced growth comes when all the components of a cell grow at the same rate. Average composition of a single cell remains approximately constant during this phase of growth. net = is time (h-1). R =

net specific growth rate (h-1). Where X is the cell mass concentration (g/l), t net specific replication rate (h-1). Where N is cell number concentration.

GATE HELPLINE In Balanced growth, both the net specific growth rate determined from either cell mass or cell number would be same. Since concentration of the substrate is large in this phase, the growth rate is independent of nutrient concentration. The exponential growth rate is first order:

= net X where X = at t = 0

Integrating the above equation ln = net t or X = X0 where X and X0 are cell concentration at time t and t = 0

Doubling time of cell mass: d = Doubling time of cell number: 'd = Balanced growth: d = 'd 3) Deceleration growth phase Growth decelerates due to depletion of one or more essential nutrients or the accumulation of toxic by products of growth. Unbalanced growth occurs for short duration of time due to rapid change in the environment. During that time, the cell composition and size will change and the d is not equal to 'd . 4) Stationary phase The net growth rate is zero or the growth rate is equal to the death rate. Cells are metabolically active and produce secondary metabolites. Total cell mass concentration is constant, but viable cell number decrease. Cryptic growth occurs when the cells growth on the lysis products of the lysed cells. Endogenous metabolism: during the Stationary phase, the cell catabolizes cellular reserves for new building blocks and for energy producing monomers. They expand the energy to keep themselves alive and that energy is called maintenance energy. = net X; where net = g - kd But g = 0 in stationary phase. So, = -kd X; where kd is first order rate constant for endogenous metabolism. Integrating the equation we get X = Xso e-kdt ; where Xso is the cell mass concentration at the beginning of the stationary phase. 5) Death phase Cells start to die due to high concentration of toxins and depletion in nutrients. = -kd N or N = Ns e-kdt Ns is the concentration of cells at the end of stationary phase. Kd is the first order death rate constant. Yield coefficient: The ratio of cell growth in a system for a given substrate. YX/S =

GATE HELPLINE Where, = assimilation into biomass + assimilated into extracellular product + growth energy + maintenance energy Maintenance coefficient: the specific rate of substrate uptake for cellular maintenance.
[

M=-

Microbial products can be classified into three major categories: 1. Growth associated products: produced simultaneously with the microbial growth. Specific rate of product formation is proportional to the specific rate of growth g. qP = YP/x g. 2. Non growth associated products: produced during stationary phase when growth rate is zero. The specific rate of product formation is constant. qP = = constant. 3. Mixed growth associated product: produced during the slow growth and stationary phase. qP = g +