ABSTRACT
A multistage chemostat is a continuous flow culture system incorporating a number of linked vessels in series. A system seems an ideal model for studying anoxic systems, since anaerobic decomposition proceeds via the sequential action of different bacterial types and there is thus the potential for isolating each sequential event within individual vessels of the system. In most natural anoxic habitats, the aqueous phase is usually oligotrophic, but this is unlikely to be the case in landfill, particularly in the early stages of refuse decomposition. A multistage chemostat system should also provide information about the yields of anaerobes under various limiting conditions or when competitive or synergistic interactions are taking place. Although both the isolation and study of anaerobic bacteria and anaerobic communities are still dominated by the use of batch growth systems, different model systems, especially homogeneous single-stage chemostats, are increasingly being used.
