Monitering the fermentation of Escherichia coli by UV-Vis Spectroscopy (CAT#: STEM-MB-0878-WXH)

Introduction

Escherichia coli, is a Gram-negative, facultative anaerobic, rod-shaped, coliform bacterium of the genus Escherichia that is commonly found in the lower intestine of warm-blooded organisms. Most E. coli strains are harmless, but some serotypes (EPEC, ETEC etc.) can cause serious food poisoning in their hosts, and are occasionally responsible for food contamination incidents that prompt product recalls. Most strains do not cause disease in humans and are part of the normal microbiota of the gut; such strains are harmless or even beneficial to humans (although these strains tend to be less studied than the pathogenic ones).
Under anaerobic conditions and in the absence of alternative electron acceptors Escherichia coli converts sugars to a mixture of products by fermentation. The major soluble products are acetate, ethanol, acetate and formate with smaller amounts of succinate.