Why Do Cells Grow the Way They Do? Probing Microbial Growth Laws with an Automated Open-Source Bioreactor

This session was delivered as part of the CoE MicroPlanet Global Ambassador Program (GAP) at Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang (UMM), with faculty members from several departments.

Topics Covered

• Why do microbes grow the way they do? Fundamental growth laws and their implications
• Resource allocation strategies in microbial cells
• Introduction to automated, open-source bioreactor systems
• Hands-on laboratory demonstration: setting up and running a bioreactor, collecting and interpreting real-time growth data

This talk combined theoretical foundations with a practical lab component, giving participants the chance to interact directly with bioreactor hardware and see microbial growth data being generated in real time. The discussion extended into a thoughtful exchange about research approaches, studying overseas, and possibilities for scientific collaboration.

This was Day 1 of the UMM sessions as part of the CoE MicroPlanet Global Ambassador Program.