Estimation of parameters in population models for Schizosaccharomyces pombe from chemostat data

The integro‐differential growth model of Eakman, Fredriekson, and Tsuehiya has been employed to fit cell size distribution data for Schizosaccharomyces pombe grown in a chemostat under severe product inhibition by ethanol. The distributions were obtained with a Coulter aperture and an electronic system patterned after that of Harvey and Marr. Four parameters—mean cell division size, cell division size standard deviation, daughter cell size standard deviation, and a growth rate coefficient—were calculated for models where the cell growth rate was inversely proportional to size, constant, and proportional to size. A fourth model, one where sigmoidal growth behavior was simulated by two linear growth segments, was also investigated. Linear and sigmoidal models fit the distribution data best. While the mean cell division size remained relatively constant at all growth rates, standard deviation of division size distribution increased with increasing holding times. Standard deviation of the daughter size distribution remained small at all dilution rates. Unlike previous findings with other organisms, the average cell size of Schizosaccharomyces pobme increased at low growth rates.