Microcalorimetric study of bacterial growth

The fundamental growth thermograms of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhosa, Salmonella chaleraeuis and Shigella flexneri have been determined by the microcalorimetric method. These perfect thermogram curves reflect the changes of bacterial growth patterns (including the lag phase of growth, log growth, stationary phase and decline phase of growth). In our experiments, highly characteristic and reproducible growth patterns are observed under the same conditions; therefore, one can use these thermograms as a "finger print" to identify bacteria. Further research on these thermograms has enabled us to calculate the multiplication rate constant and activation energy of bacterial growth. Obviously, these thermogram curves contain ample information which is very significant for studies in microbiological, bio-ther- mokinetic and clinical fields.