CONTINUOUS CULTIVATION OF GLUCOSE-LIMITED BEAN CELLS (PHASEOLUS-VULGARIS L) IN A MODIFIED BACTERIAL FERMENTER

A commercially available bacterial fermentor was modified to allow the continuous cultivation of glucose-limited bean cells (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) at a defined pH. A steady state was reached using a dilution rate of 0·004 h-1 and was maintained for 4 months; during this period the dry weight and packed cell volume of the culture remained constant; the yield for glucose was 0·34 (dry wt./dry wt) and for carbon 0·27 (g atom/g atom). Glucose-limited cells had lower C/N ratios both for cytoplasm and cell walls than cells in the exponential phase of growth in batch cultures. © 1979 Oxford University Press.