INDIRECT ESTIMATION OF POLY-BETA-HYDROXYBUTYRIC ACID BY CELL CARBON ANALYSIS

Nitrogen-limited batch cultures of Alcaligenes eutrophus were characte rised by two phases: an exponential growth phase followed by a PHB acc umulation phase where the increase in cell carbon concentration was ca used exclusively by PHB accumulation. Consequently, the PHB concentrat ion could be estimated indirectly by cell carbon analysis. The convent ional spectrophotometric method for PHB estimation and the method desc ribed in this paper gave identical results. However, our method is mor e rapid and requires smaller sample volumes.