[Electrokinetic properties of microorganisms as dependent on culture conditions]

The electrokinetic properties of cells were studied with the batch and continuous cultures of Bacillus megaterium and the chemostat culture of Candida utilis. The above cells growing at a higher rate had a higher electrophoretic mobility and a greater negative zeta potential; this seems to stem from the accumulation of negatively charged groups on their surface. The bacterial cells had higher values of electrophoretic mobility and electrokinetic potential comparing to the yeast cells; the electrokinetic properties of the bacterial cells changed more with a variation of the growth rate than in the yeast cells.