Abstract
This work is based on a previous observation and on a related mathematical modeling regarding the ‘linear growth’ of a colony of microorganisms under given conditions. We had previously shown that the growth rate of the colony is merely proportional to the ‘individual exponential multiplication constant’, β, of the microorganisms.
Tiny colonies of penicillium are subjected to different doses of irradiation. The subsequent observation of the colonies' growth rate beautifully furnishes a measure of how the multiplication constant, β, of the microorganism is affected by irradiation.
The plot of β with respect to the irradiation dose, shows a linear interdependence between the two quantities. The extrapolation of this plot easily yields the radiation pasteurization dose of the microorganisms in hand.
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Yarman, T., Kiyak, N. The multiplication constant of a microorganism in a colony is normally reduced by irradiation but still remains as a characteristic constant-A new approach to determining irradiation pasteurization doses. J Biol Phys 18, 93–97 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00395056
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00395056