Thermodynamics of microbial growth coupled to metabolism of glucose, ethanol, short-chain organic acids, and hydrogen

A literature compilation demonstrated a linear relationship between microbial growth yield and the free energy of aerobic and anaerobic (respiratory and/or fermentative) metabolism of glucose, ethanol, formate, acetate, lactate, propionate, butyrate, and H(2). This relationship provides a means to estimate growth yields for modeling microbial redox metabolism in soil and sedimentary environments.