J Bacteriol. 1978 Dec;136(3):969-75. doi: 10.1128/jb.136.3.969-975.1978.

Constancy of growth on simple and complex media.

Journal of bacteriology

C H Wang, A L Koch

PMID: 363700 PMCID: PMC218532 DOI: 10.1128/jb.136.3.969-975.1978
Free PMC Article

Abstract

An apparatus has been developed in which bacterial growth can be measured very precisely over short intervals of time. Its precision is presented and used to assess the constancy of growth in batch culture. Under certain conditions, i.e., Luria broth or 0.2% glucose-M9 medium at very low cell densities, the specific growth rate of Escherichia coli appeared to be constant within the measurement limits of the method. In succinate minimal medium, the growth rate increased gradually over several days and never became constant. With nutrient broth and with Luria broth, growth slowed progressively at moderate cell densities within the range considered to be in the logarithmic phase of growth. In addition, temporary slowdown in growth rate occurred in these two complex media at characteristic cell densities. These gradual increases in succinate minimal medium and temporary slowdowns in the complex media would be undetectable without precise measurements and may have been a source of variability in many bacteriological studies.

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References

1. Bacteriol Rev. 1957 Dec;21(4):263-72 - PubMed
2. J Bacteriol. 1974 Sep;119(3):736-47 - PubMed
3. J Bacteriol. 1975 Oct;124(1):435-44 - PubMed
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Substances

• Culture Media

MeSH terms

• Culture Media*
• Escherichia coli / growth & development
• Kinetics
• Statistics as Topic

Publication Types

• Journal Article
• Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

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