A mathematical model of syntrophic cocultures in the chemostat

Abstract

A model is presented for syntrophic associations between H2-producing acetogenic bacteria and H2-utilizing bacteria. A growth rate expression different from the usual Monod equation is applied to the H2-producing acetogenic bacterium to take into account the thermodynamics of the metabolic reaction involved as dominant factor. The steady of states of the model system are given as branches in a bifurcation diagram. Numerical experiments on the stability of the branches and on the influence of different values in model parameters are performed. The predictions of our model are discussed with regard to the results obtained from experiments with syntrophic cocultures of different species of H2-producing acetogenic bacteria in combination with H2-consuming bacteria.