Electronically controlled continuous culture device.

A photocell-controlled continuous culture device, a Nephelostat, is described that maintains a wide variety of cultures of microorganisms in balanced growth. This Nephelostat controls concentrations of bacteria within +/-3% over a cell concentration range of 10(6) to 10(9) cells per ml. Growth rates are recorded so that changes in the growth rate are observed over small increments of time. Spontaneous and caffeine-induced mutation rates of two strains of Escherichia coli were compared under Nephelostat and chemostat conditions.