| Abstract: | A number of models which have recently appeared in the microbiological literature are described and discussed. A simulation of the griseofulvin fermentation is also reported. Models described range from simple models involving curve-generating equations providing parameters which describe fermentation phenomena adequately for optimisation purposes, to more elaborate mechanistic models which involve the quantity of substrate required to produce cells and products. Beyond this are complex models capable of describing biochemical mechanisms and able to elucidate a fermentation at a deeper level. The construction of the model for griseofulvin fermentation and its comparison with actual results have shown how a model can bring to light new ideas about the way fermentations behave and point to the most useful areas of investigational work. |
