2.4.2. Growth Batch Reactor Experiments

Four sets of batch reactors were prepared to investigate 21198 growth in the presence of BTEXM. Each set was prepared in 125 mL sterilized Wheaton serum bottles with butyl septa caps with 100 mL MSM, ~1 mg of each contaminant, and a low initial biomass, 0.05 mg of isobutane grown cells, compared to the resting cell tests. Batch reactors were amended with approximately 1 mg of growth substrate, with the exception of set 1, which did not receive any additional growth substrate. Isobutane, 1-butanol, and 2-butanol were added to sets 2, 3, and 4, respectively as growth substrates. As oxygen was depleted from the headspace air, pure gaseous oxygen was added to the headspace through the cap septa. Control bottles were prepared without cells to monitor abiotic losses of analytes. Batch reactors were prepared in triplicates, while control bottles were prepared in duplicates. All bottles were incubated in the dark on a 100 RPM shaker table at 20^oC for the duration of the experiments.