title: Multiplying steady-state culture in multi-reactor system.
abstract: Cultivation of microorganisms in batch experiments is fast and economical but the conditions therein change constantly, rendering quantitative data interpretation difficult. By using chemostat with controlled environmental conditions the physiological state of microorganisms is fixed; however, the unavoidable stabilization phase makes continuous methods resource consuming. Material can be spared by using micro scale devices, which however have limited analysis and process control capabilities. Described herein are a method and a system combining the high throughput of batch with the controlled environment of continuous cultivations. Microorganisms were prepared in one bioreactor followed by culture distribution into a network of bioreactors and continuation of independent steady state experiments therein. Accelerostat cultivation with statistical analysis of growth parameters demonstrated non-compromised physiological state following distribution, thus the method effectively multiplied steady state culture of microorganisms. The theoretical efficiency of the system was evaluated in inhibitory compound analysis using repeated chemostat to chemostat transfers.
authors.affiliation: Competence Center of Food and Fermentation Technologies, Tallinn, Estonia, sten@tftak.eu.
authors.forename: Sten
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Erm
authors.forename: Kaarel
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Adamberg
authors.forename: Raivo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vilu
mesh_terms: D018533:Biomass; D019149:Bioreactors / Q000382:microbiology*; D004867:Equipment Design; D048168:Escherichia coli K12 / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D007218:Industrial Microbiology; D049490:Systems Biology