Bacillus are capable of using many types of organic material as a source of energy, and they are very good at adapting their metabolic processes to use whatever energy source is nearby. When sufficient nutrients are available, Bacillus will continually multiply. This is known as exponential growth.
Figure 1. Growth of Bacillus when one energy source is available
They will continue to grow until their preferred food source is exhausted. Then they will change their metabolic machinery and start using a different food source. During this metabolic shift, there will be a brief pause in growth while the Bacillus make the necessary changes; such as producing different enzymes. After this pause, exponential growth will resume. This process will repeat until all available nutrients have been exhausted. This characteristic of Bacillus makes it a sought-after ingredient in Industrial and Institutional products as Bacillus will continue to work until it has adapted to and utilized all available wastes.
Figure 2. Growth of Bacillus when multiple volatile fatty acids are available
Bacillus’ ability to grow exponentially in the presence of a food source was demonstrated in the following in-house study. This study measured SporActiv® Bacillus utilization of odor causing volatile fatty acids (VFAs). When one food source was available, Bacillus grew exponentially until that food source was depleted (Figure 1). When multiple VFAs (acetate, butyrate, isobutyrate, propionate, valerate, and isovalerate) were available, Bacillus grew until they’d exhausted their preferred VFAs. Then, we see a brief delay while they adapted to different VFAs, followed by continued growth. (Figure 2).
In summary, Bacillus bacteria provide a multifaceted, versatile odor reducing solution for the Industrial and Institutional market.
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