An Extension of a Logistic Model for Microbial Kinetics

Abstract

In contrast to the traditional logistic model, a series of asymmetrical models havebeen proposed for modeling bacterial growth. These models are similar to the logistic model for the lag-phase and exponential phase of the population growth, but quite different in the stationary phase the growth becomes remarkably slower after the inflection point. At this point, limiting factors within the population such as competition or environmental stress inhibit further exponential growth. Moreover, models as variations of the traditional exponential model are also proposed. The models presented demonstrate more general patterns and representative properties, from which relevant algorithms can be developed for calculating the population specific growth rate occurring in the exponential phase.