• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.597-606
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• 1992

Effects of dilution rate, inlet glucose and ammonium chloride concentrations on ,he performance of continuous culture of Alcaligenes eutrQPhus for poly-p-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) production were investigated. When inlet substrate concentrations were maintained constant (inlet glucose concentration = 20 g/l, inlet ammonium chloride concentration = 2 g/l), growth rate of residual biomass and PHB production rate showed its maximum at $0.1h^{-1}$ and $0.06h^{-1}$, respectively, and washout at $0.13h^{-1}$. PHB content decreased from 50% to 25% by increasing dilution rate, while specific PHB production rate increased continuously. Cell mass and PHB concentration gave its maximum values at inlet ammonium chloride concentration of 2 g/l and thereafter decreased, which showed the existence of substrate inhibition by ammonium. When inlet glucose concentration was 30 g/l, cell mass reached its maximum value, while PHB concentration increased continuously. The parameters of kinetic model were evaluated by the graphical and parameter estimation methods. The computer simulation results for the effects of dilution rate, inlet glucose and ammonium chloride concentrations fitted the experimental data very well.