Analysis of bioreactor experimental data by the application of metabolic pathway stoichiometry to polyhydroxyalkanoate production by Alcaligenes eutrophus

In biochemical processes, the stoichiometry can be the result of macroscopi c balances (where the microorganism is specified by the elementary composit ion and only the chemical reactions of the conversion process are considere d) or the balances of the metabolic pathway, where biochemical knowledge av ailable for metabolic reactions, in addition to the chemical characteristic s of the system, are considered. It is possible to identify several linear relationships among the conversion rates in these processes. While several rates are measured, others can be calculated. If a calculated conversion ra te is also measured, measurement errors or errors of the described model ca n be detected or even diagnosed by comparing these values, and accurate est imates can be obtained by combining them.