Shaking alone, without concurrent aeration, affects the growth characteristics of Escherichia coli

Condensed Matter journal club

Shaking alone, without concurrent aeration, affects the growth characteristics of Escherichia coli

  • Event time: 11:30am until 12:30pm
  • Event date: 1st March 2019
  • Location: Room 2511,

Event details

Aims: This study investigated the effects of linear vibration on cultures grown

in both hard- and soft-sided containers to determine whether vibration alone

affected the growth rate.

Methods and Results: Cultures of Escherichia coli were exposed to vibrational

acceleration with and without access to additional oxygen. Vibrated cultures

grown in hard-sided containers exited lag phase earlier and had a higher final

yield than identical unshaken cultures, whether or not the cultures had access

to ambient air. Cultures grown in soft-sided containers showed no response to

vibration.

Conclusions: Vibration in hard-sided containers decreases the length of the lag

phase and increases final OD in E. coli, with or without increased oxygenation.

Increased mixing and improved suspension, which result from vibration of cul-

tures in hard-sided containers, are the most likely physical mechanisms for the

more favorable culture conditions.

Significance and Impact of the Study: This paper demonstrates that growth

enhancement of shaken cultures is a function of the rigidity of the vessel even

without aeration of the medium.

Event resources

About Condensed Matter journal club

Given the diversity of research in the CM group, chosen topics vary widely. We tend to stick to high-impact journals - Nature, Science, PNAS and PRL have been popular - but this is not prescriptive..

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