Repository logo

Infoscience

  • English
  • French
Log In
Logo EPFL, École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne

Infoscience

  • English
  • French
Log In
  1. Home
  2. Academic and Research Output
  3. Journal articles
  4. Microbial growth by a net heat up-take: a calorimetric and thermodynamic study on acetotrophic methanogenesis by Methanosarcina barkeri
 
research article

Microbial growth by a net heat up-take: a calorimetric and thermodynamic study on acetotrophic methanogenesis by Methanosarcina barkeri

Liu, J. S.
•
Marison, I. W.  
•
Von Stockar, U.  
2001
Biotechnology and Bioengineering

To answer the intriguing question whether or not endothermic microbial growth exists, and in particular, to verify Heijnen and van Dijken's prediction (1992), acetotrophic methanogen, Methanosarcina barkeri, has been cultivated in a highly sensitive bench-scale calorimeter (an improved Bio-RC1 reaction calorimeter) in a pH auxostat fashion. A growth yield of 0.043 C-mol-1 has been obtained and a cell d. as high as 3 g L-1 was attained. Heat uptake during growth has indeed been quant. measured with calorimetry, resulting in a heat yield of +145 kJ C-mol-1. Thermodn. of the growth of acetotrophic methanogens was analyzed in detail. The changes in Gibbs energy, enthalpy, and entropy during growth of M. barkeri were compared with some typical aerobic and anaerobic growth processes of different microorganisms on various substrates. In the growth of M. barkeri on acetate, the retarding effect of the pos. enthalpy change on the driving force of growth is overcompensated by the large pos. entropy change, resulting from converting one org. mol. (acetic acid) to two gaseous products, CH4 and CO2. Both the enthalpy and the entropy increases are due partially to the transition of these two products into the gaseous phase. The thermodn. role of this phase transition for the growth process is analyzed. Microbial growth characterized by enthalpy increase and correspondingly by a large increase in entropy may be called enthalpy-retarded growth. [on SciFinder (R)]

  • Details
  • Metrics
Type
research article
DOI
10.1002/bit.1176
Web of Science ID

WOS:000171118200004

Author(s)
Liu, J. S.
Marison, I. W.  
Von Stockar, U.  
Date Issued

2001

Published in
Biotechnology and Bioengineering
Volume

75

Issue

2

Start page

170

End page

180

Editorial or Peer reviewed

REVIEWED

Written at

EPFL

EPFL units
LGCB  
Available on Infoscience
February 27, 2006
Use this identifier to reference this record
https://infoscience.epfl.ch/handle/20.500.14299/226054
Logo EPFL, École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne
  • Contact
  • infoscience@epfl.ch

  • Follow us on Facebook
  • Follow us on Instagram
  • Follow us on LinkedIn
  • Follow us on X
  • Follow us on Youtube
AccessibilityLegal noticePrivacy policyCookie settingsEnd User AgreementGet helpFeedback

Infoscience is a service managed and provided by the Library and IT Services of EPFL. © EPFL, tous droits réservés