Square Root Model for Rates of Microbial Growth or Inactivation
Square Root Model for Rates of Microbial Growth or Inactivation
Microbial growth or inactivation starts at a certain characteristic temperature, which is incorporated into temperature-dependent models for their rates. Ratkowski’s model, known as the "square root model" makes use of a minimum temperature. This model, in its original and modified forms, has been successful in describing the increase of a growth rate parameter in a large variety of microorganisms. This Demonstration provides graphical representations of these models’ properties near the onset of microbial growth or thermal inactivation, in which an inactivation rate parameter replaces the growth rate parameter.