Generalized morphological modeling of aggregating, filamentous microorganisms

丝状微生物在工业上被广泛用于生产抗生素、有机酸和蛋白质。众所周知，加工条件，特别是流体动力学，会影响微生物的形态。它们可能以自由分散的菌丝、絮状物/团块或颗粒的形式出现。反过来，形貌强烈地影响着生产率，从而影响着工艺的经济性。数学模型可以提供更好地理解和最终优化过程的手段。以前的建模方法在处理特定条件方面存在不足，处理详细形态的能力有限。对于一个综合模型，系统的结构特征和属性分布特征的必要耦合本质上导致了一个多尺度、多变量的人口平衡建模问题，具有许多挑战。这样的建模方法不仅反映了近年来出现的新的实验机会。取而代之的是，将开发一个框架，通过引入通用形态描述来支持未来的实验工作。

Filamentous microorganisms are widely used in industry for biotechnological production of antibiotics, organic acids, and proteins. It is well-known that processing conditions, especially hydrodynamics, affect the morphology of microorganisms. They may appear in form of freely dispersed hyphae, flocs/clumps, or pellets. In turn, the morphology strongly affects the production rate and therefore the economics of the process. Mathematical models can provide the means of a better understanding and eventually process optimization. Previous modeling approaches fall short in addressing only specific conditions with limited capabilities of handling detailed morphology. For a comprehensive model, the necessary coupling of the structured and the property distributed character of the systems intrinsically leads to a multiscale, multivariate population balance modeling problem with many challenges. Such a modeling approach will not only reflect the new experimental opportunities that appeared in the recent years. Instead, a framework will be developed to support also future experimental efforts by introducing a generic morphology description.