Year: 1988
Type: article
Abstract: Data from analyses of continuous culture fermentation of insoluble cellulose by Ruminococcus albus 7 were used to derive constants for the rate of cellulose hydrolysis and fermentation, growth yield, and maintenance. Cellulose concentration was 1% in the nutrient reservoir, and hydraulic retention times of 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 1.75, and 2.0 days were used. Concentrations of reducing sugars in the cultures were negligible (less than 1%) compared with the amount of hydrolyzed cellulose, indicating that cellulose hydrolysis was the rate-limiting step of the fermentation. The rate of utilization of cellulose depended on the steady-state concentration of cellulose and was first order with a rate constant (k) of 1.18 day. The true microbial growth yield (Y) was 0.11 g g, the maintenance coefficient (m) was 0.10 g g h, and the maximum Y(ATP) was 7.7 g of biomass (dry weight) mol of ATP.
Institutions: New York State Department of Health, Wadsworth Center
Language: English
Subfield: Biomedical Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W1908002040