GRAPHICS-ASSOCIATED MODELING OF BATCH CULTURES OF ESCHERICHIA-COLI FERMENTING GLUCOSE

We have established a two-step strategy for the modeling of cell cultu res in suspension and applied it to Escherichia coli cultures. Cell co ncentration, pH, and sugar consumption (glucose) were involved. In the first step, graphical analysis of the experimental kinetic data allow ed an approach to the kinetic cell behavior and led to the mathematica l dynamic model. An approximation of the corresponding parameters was thus obtained. Then, a more precise estimation of these parameters was obtained using a numerical simulation, including a general modeling o f pH effects in acid fermentations. The results show that a simple gra phical analysis is able to give a very good estimation for most parame ters characterizing the culture at a macroscopic level.