Aerobic glucose metabolism by Pseudomonas aeruginosa in steady-state biofilms at various substrate loading rates and reactor dilution rates was investigated. Variables monitored were substrate (glucose), biofilm cellular density, biofilm extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) density, and suspended cellular and EPS concentrations. A mathematical model developed to describe the system was compared to experimental data. Intrinsic yield and rate coefficients included in the model were obtained from suspended continuous culture studies of glucose metabolism by P. aeruginosa. Experimental data compared well with the mathematical model, suggesting that P. aeruginosa does not behave differently in steady-state biofilm cultures, where diffusional resistance is negligible, than in suspended cultures. This implies that kinetic and stoichiometric coefficients for P. aeruginosa derived in suspended continuous culture can be used to describe steady-state biofilm processes.

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The kinetics of cellular reproduction and the rate and extent of synthesis of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) were investigated for P. aeruginosa growing in glucose-limited chemostats. mu(max) and K(s) estimates of 0.4 h(-1) and 2 mg glucose C/L, respectively, at 25 degrees C were obtained for this bacterium. The extent of EPS formation was inversely related to the growth rate of P. aeruginosa. The rate of EPS formation had both growth- and non-growth-associated components. The growth-associated polymer formation rate coefficient (k) was 0.3 mg polymer C/mg cellular C and the non-growth-associated polymer formation rate coefficient (k') was 0.04 mg polymer C/mg cellular C/h. The values for k and k' must be regarded as provisional since the product formation data were quite variable at low dilution rates. Estimates of the cellular (Y(x/s)) and polymer (Y(p/s)) yield coefficients were 0.3 mg cellular C/mg glucose C and 0.6 mg polymer C/mg glucose C, respectively. Most of the non-growth-associated consumption of glucose detected was due to exopolymer formation.