Hi there,
I've got some problems to interpret my data.
I got a mixed population of aerobic bacteria (sewage sludge) that had
been starved for a week. When I added ammonium, carbon dioxide came out.
Two possible explanations:
- ammonium was oxidized, which yields protons. This drove CO2 and
carbonate already present out.
- ammonium induced the metabolism of storage compounds in some bacteria.
I'd like to hear from you whether you think the second possibility makes
sense. Do you know of any regulatory pathway of carbon metabolism that
is induced by ammonium?
Thanks!
ERIK.
