H. M. Tsuchiya

Mathematical Models for Fermentation Processes

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses that models serve to correlate data and so provide a concise way of thinking about a system or process. They help to sharpen thinking about a system or process and can be used to guide ones reasoning in the design of experiments to isolate important parameters and elucidate the nature of the system or process. The scope, the scale, and the complexity of fermentation processes are such that changes in technology will likely occur; indeed, there is an emphasis on investigations on continous culture techniques, fermentation vessels are no longer always of the stirred-tank variety, and mixed cultures are starting to become common. The chapter discusses that mathematical models of microbial growth are generated by a combination of three processes. First, well-established physical, chemical, or biological principles may provide certain parts of the model. Second, some hypotheses of the model may be plausible inferences from existing data. Finally, the remaining parts of the model are guesses, but one hopes, educated ones.

Damped oscillations in continuous culture of Lactobacillus plantarum.

Lactobacillus plantarum exhibited long-period damped oscillations when grown aerobically with glucose as the rate-limiting substrate. Hydrogen peroxide accumulated in the cultures and its concentration also exhibited damped oscillations. It is suggested that inhibition of growth by hydrogen peroxide is involved in the production of the damped oscillations of microbiol population density.