INTEGRATING THE MICROKINETICS OF THE L-CARNITINE AND CENTRAL METABOLISM IN Escherichia colt WITH THE MACROKINETICS OF A HIGH-CELL DENSITY REACTOR

摘要

A combined E. coli cell metabolism-bioreactor system is described using an S-system model developed within the Biochemical System Theory framework. Such a model is able to represent the activities of the enzymes involved in the biotransformation process, the biotransformation compound concentrations and their transporter. In addition, the transporter is described as an ATP-dependent antiport of betaines and by considering the difference between the concentration of substrate (crotronobetaine) and product (L-camitine) inside/outside (reactor bulk) the cell. The central metabolism, including glycerol assimilation through the glycolytic and the tricarboxylic acid pathway (TCA) and the synthesis of lactate, formate and acetate has also been modelled. Simulation results matched experiments run with the high-cell density reactor system.