Multiple choice

In a chemostat operating under steady state, a bacterial culture can be grown at dilution rate higher than maximum growth rate by

  1. partial cell recycling

  2. using sub optimal tremperature

  3. pH cycling

  4. substrate feed rate cycling
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

In a chemostat under steady-state, if the dilution rate exceeds the maximum specific growth rate, cells wash out. Partial cell recycling returns biomass to the reactor, increasing the effective cell concentration and allowing steady-state operation at dilution rates higher than μmax. This decouples the dilution rate from the growth rate by maintaining biomass independently of growth rate.

Keep practicing — related questions