Kinetics of bacterial mixed cultures

[Iraklis Panagiotakis]

Dear group,

I have cultivated anaerobic mixed cultures and I am trying to test their
ability to decompose some organic compounds under different environmental
conditions. Currently I am trying to start studying the appropriate
bibliography about bacterial kinetics in order to stimulate their
behaviour.

Is this possible for mixed cultures?
Is there any basic reading for bacterial kinetics that I have to start with?
Is there any basic reading of kinetic coefficients measurements in the lab?
Should I try to find a software to model their kinetics?

Any help would be valuable.
Thank you.

--

Iraklis Panagiotakis
PhD candidate
Department of Water Resources, Hydraulic & Maritime Engineering
Faculty of Civil Engineering
National Technical University of Athens
Iroon Polytechneiou 5
157 80 Zografou
tel. ++30 210 7721610

[Atzus]

Hi all, hi Iraklis.

> I have cultivated anaerobic mixed cultures and I am trying to test their
> ability to decompose some organic compounds under different environmental
> conditions. Currently I am trying to start studying the appropriate
> bibliography about bacterial kinetics in order to stimulate their
> behaviour.

I am not sure what you mean by stimulate (or is this a nice typo, did
you mean "simulate"?).

> Is there any basic reading for bacterial kinetics that I have to start with?

I would read the following books in this order:

@BOOK{Cornish-Bowden2004,
title = {Fundamentals of Enzyme Kinetics},
publisher = {Portland Press},
year = {2004},
author = {Athel Cornish-Bowden},
edition = {3.},
note = {ISBN: 1855781581}
}

@BOOK{Fell1996,
title = {Understanding the Control of Metabolism},
publisher = {Ashgate Publishing},
year = {1996},
author = {David Fell},
note = {ISBN: 185578047X}
}

@BOOK{Heinrich1996,
title = {The Regulation Of Cellular Systems},
publisher = {Springer},
year = {1996},
author = {Reinhart Heinrich and Stefan Schuster},
edition = {1.},
note = {ISBN: 0412032619}
}

> Is there any basic reading of kinetic coefficients measurements in the lab?

In addition to the above-mentioned this may be a good resource if you
are looking for coefficients: http://www.brenda.uni-koeln.de/
An additional recommended reading focusing on wet lab methods? Don't
have one right now.

> Should I try to find a software to model their kinetics?

If you really want to try to build a kinetic model, I would suggest:
http://www.copasi.org/
or
http://sbw.sourceforge.net/

One warning: Before you start with the modeling process, I would rethink
the approach. A kinetic model may not be what you are searching for. The
modeling procedure should focus on the questions to be answered. What
exactly do you want to achieve with the model?

Kai