A mathematical model of microbial growth including an intermediate. I. Growth in batch cultures.

A mathematical model of microbial growth is presented and examined which, in contrast to the well-known MONOD model, includes transitions from one cell "bottle-neck" to another. This is achieved by introducing an intermediate product in the model. Three variants of the model for different regulatory functions of the intermediate are considered. The results permit to describe a set of experimentally observable microbial growth curves. According to the model, the shape of the growth curves, the kinetics of substrate consumption and changes of intermediate concentration depend on culture prehistory and the nature of the intermediate regulatory function.