Apparatus and method for anaerobic respirometry

An apparatus for anaerobic respirometry comprising

• means for batch culture of at least one microorganism in a liquid, said means for batch culture being adapted to exclude molecular oxygen, and said microorganism requiring a dissolved electron acceptor other than molecular oxygen for growth on a substrate in accordance with a known stoichiometry, wherein said dissolved electron acceptor is selected from the group consisting of
• nitrate,
• nitrite,
• nitric oxide,
• nitrous oxide,
• iron,
• sulfate,
• acetate,
• formate,
• methanol,
• methylamine,
• dimethylamine,
• trimethylamine,
• carbon monoxide, and
• carbon dioxide,
• means for measuring the uptake of said dissolved electron acceptor to produce a plurality of electron acceptor uptake data;
• and
• computer means for analyzing said known stoichiometry and said plurality of electron acceptor uptake data to produce a plurality of stoichiometric and kinetic bioprocess model parameters.

A method for anaerobic respirometry comprising the steps of

• adapting at least one chamber to provide an anaerobic environment for batch culture of a microorganism in a liquid, said microorganism capable of consuming a dissolved electron acceptor other than molecular oxygen during growth on a substrate having a known initial substrate concentration and a measured final substrate concentration to produce suspended biomass;
• sensing the concentration of said dissolved electron acceptor other than molecular oxygen in said liquid with a means for sensing having a first output;
• measuring the concentration of said suspended biomass at the beginning and at the end of said growth with a means for measuring having a second output;
• and
• converting said first output and said second output into kinetic and stoichiometric bioprocess model parameters,
• wherein the concentration of said dissolved electron acceptor is sensed at least one hundred times more than the concentration of said substrate is measured.

A method for anaerobic respirometry comprising the steps of

• providing an environment for batch culture of a microorganism in a liquid, said microorganism capable of consuming a dissolved sulfate as an electron acceptor during growth on a substrate to produce suspended biomass;
• sensing the concentration of said dissolved electron acceptor during said growth and producing a first output;
• determining the concentration of said substrate at the beginning of said growth with means for producing substrate data;
• measuring the concentration of said suspended biomass at the end of said growth with means for producing biomass data;
• and
• converting said first output, said substrate data and said biomass data into kinetic and stoichiometric bioprocess model parameters.