Development of a mechanistic, engineering model of bacterial growth on methanol
A mathematical model, descriptive of bacterial growth on methanol, was formulated. The model is specific to the subgroup of methanol-utilizing bacteria which utilize the ribulose monophosphate cycle for carbon assimilation. The specific bacterium (isolate L3) utilized in this investigation was isolated in the Chemical Engineering Laboratories of Purdue University. The growth situation specifically addressed in the model formulation was the balanced growth associated with steady state chemostat and exponential phase batch cultures, with methanol as the sole limiting nutrient. In final form, the model contained six differential mass balance equations descriptive of the metabolic species methanol dehydrogenase, hexulose phosphate synthase, cell mass, methanol intracellular formaldehyde, and extracellular formaldehyde. Steady state chemostat and dynamic exponential phase batch culture observations were utilized as a database. Simulation results of the final model equations were in good qualitative agreement with experimental steady state observations, batch culture time-plots, and near-steady state dynamic behavior. Experimental verification was successfully implemented.
- Research Organization:
- Worcester Polytechnic Inst., MA (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 5218564
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Thesis (Ph.D.)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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