ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to examine some of the work that has been done on transient systems in continuous culture. The use of transients is becoming an important tool in studying metabolic events. An understanding of transient phenomena is important to the development and application of dynamic control in continuous culture processes. A study of transient response of microorganisms is a useful source of information on mechanisms regulating growth and metabolism. Transient studies are also important in understanding the dynamic behavior of continuous cultures which is necessary for scale-up and operation of fermentation processes. The behavior of ceils during transients following shifts in dilution rate has been further characterized. Transient behavior, similar to that observed after dilution rate shifts, occurs when the feed medium composition is changed. Transient behavior in a carbon-limited chemostat with Escherichia coli growing on a mixture of carbon sources has been studied by Standing et al.
