ACID INHIBITION OF IMMOBILIZED CELLS - QUANTITATIVE COMPARISON OF MODEL AND EXPERIMENT

A quantitative comparision is offered between a kinetic model for prod uct-inhibited, immobilized cell metabolism and a high-resolution scann ing microfluorimetric characterization of variation of cell growth rat es with position in immobilized cell cultures. The kinetic model is ba sed exclusively on kinetic parameters derived from free cell suspensio n cultures and literature data for diffusion in biomass-loaded gels; t he scanning microfluorimetry provides a high-resolution characterizati on of the point-by-point variation in cell growth rate in gel immobili zed E. coli under cultivation with acid (formic, acetic) inhibition. T he agreement between model and experiment is very good, indicating a s trong potential for scanning microfluorimetry as a quantitative instru ment in immobilized cell studies and for use of free cell kinetics in immobilized cell models.