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Updated: Feb 17, 2026

The Use of Chemostats in Microbial Systems Biology
Published on: October 14, 2013
Toward an understanding of biochemical equilibria within living cells
Germán Rivas1, Allen P Minton2
1Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Ramiro de Maeztu 9, 28040, Madrid, Spain. grivas@cib.csic.es.
Abstract:
Four types of environmental effects that can affect macromolecular reactions in a living cell are defined: nonspecific intermolecular interactions, side reactions, partitioning between microenvironments, and surface interactions. Methods for investigating these interactions and their influence on target reactions in vitro are reviewed. Methods employed to characterize conformational and association equilibria in vivo are reviewed and difficulties in their interpretation cataloged. It is concluded that, in order to be amenable to unambiguous interpretation, in vivo studies must be complemented by in vitro studies carried out in well-characterized and controllable media designed to contain key elements of selected intracellular microenvironments.
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