Batch kinetic studies on gowth of salt tolerant Pseudomonas aeruginosa secreting protease in a biocalorimeter

Abstract

Biocalorimetry has proved to be an efficient tool for studying the energetics involved in several biochemical reactions. In this study, biocalorimetry was employed to simultaneously analyze biokinetics and bioenergetics involved during cultivation of a salt tolerant Pseudomonas aeruginosa for the production of alkaline protease. Batch experiments were performed in a bench scale biocalorimeter for alkaline protease production by P. aeruginosa using optimized process conditions. Tessier's double substrate growth model was found to provide a good fit for the growth of P. aeruginosa in the biocalorimeter, and the biokinetic parameters were estimated. The heat flow profile resulting from metabolic activity of P. aeruginosa was shown to accurately depict both the kinetics of cell growth and protease production. Biokinetic and bioenergetic analysis on the growth of P. aeruginosa revealed that peptone is preferentially used as the substrate for its intracellular activities and glycerol acts as an energy source for its growth metabolism.