Yield coefficients in dependence on milieu conditions and cell states. II. Influence of perturbations on continuous cultivation of the yeast Lodderomyces elongisporus on hydrocarbons.

Abstract

The influence of perturbations on continuous yeast cell cultivations on hydrocarbons of crude oil is described. Due to such perturbations the fermentation system leaves its steady state, passes through transitional stages and reaches a new steady state. In the transitional stages a damped oscillation of biomass concentration, percentage of budding cells, oxygen consumption rate, and heat flow is observed. These results can be explained by partial synchronization of yeast cell functions in microorganism populations. In phases of partial synchronization the cell cycle of a single cell is reflected by the behaviour of the microorganism population. The adaptation of the carbon substrate feeding rate to the state of partially synchronized microorganism population makes possible lower specific substrate consumption in biomass production.