Growth Model for Continuous Culture of a Hydrogen‐Oxidizing Bacterium, Hydrogenophilus thermoluteolus Strain TH‐1
Tokihiro Kurita, Naoya Ohmura, Shin‐ichi Hirano, Thomas R. GlassABSTRACT
Hydrogenophilus thermoluteolus strain TH‐1 is a thermophilic hydrogen‐oxidizing bacterium that can autotrophically grow using H 2 , CO 2, and O 2 with the highest rate among autotrophs. However, despite its significant potential for use in biomanufacturing from CO 2 , no model to date has accurately described strain TH‐1 growth under both H 2 ‐ and O 2 ‐limiting conditions. Here, we report on a growth model for continuous culture. Theoretical equations were established for cell yields from the substrate consumption, overall mass transfer coefficients of H 2 and O 2 , cell densities, and dilution rates. These equations were globally fitted to a series of cell culture profiles. Global fitting showed that the model closely reproduced cell production in continuous culture under H 2 ‐limiting and O 2 ‐limiting conditions. This model will be useful for understanding culture profiles and optimizing production.