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Entropy balances of microbial product formation.
E J Bormann1, H H Grosse, J Menz
1Akademie der Wissenschaften der D.D.R., Forschungsbereich für Biowissenschaften und Medizin, Zentralinstitut für Mikrobiologie und experimentelle Therapie, Jena, DDR.
Biotechnology Advances
|January 1, 1990
Summary
This study developed equations for microbial product formation entropy balance, finding similar entropy patterns in L-lysine and nourseothricine production. These findings suggest a general phenomenon in microorganisms under nutritional imbalance.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Biophysics
- Microbial Physiology
Background:
- Microbial product formation involves complex metabolic processes.
- Understanding the thermodynamic principles, specifically entropy balance, is crucial for optimizing these processes.
- Previous work by Bermudez and Wagensberg (1986) laid groundwork for microbial entropy balance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop equations describing the entropy balance of microbial product formation.
- To determine coefficients of resistance and coupling based on metabolic rates.
- To validate the model using experimental data from L-lysine and nourseothricine production.
Main Methods:
- Developed equations for entropy balance in microbial product formation.
- Assumed a linear relationship between thermodynamic fluxes and forces.
- Utilized experimental data from two microbial batch processes (L-lysine and nourseothricine production).
Main Results:
- Derived formulas to calculate resistance and coupling coefficients.
- Observed similar entropy balance patterns in distinct microbial production pathways.
- Noted an overshoot in entropy production at the onset of both primary and secondary metabolite biosynthesis.
Conclusions:
- The derived model is useful for analyzing microbial product formation entropy.
- The overshoot in entropy production appears to be a general phenomenon for microorganisms facing nutritional imbalance.
- This provides insights into microbial physiology under suboptimal conditions.