Application of Continuous Culture Procedures

There are some general conclusions that may be drawn from the results of these experiments  

Relatively simple reactions were involved in the degradations, and these can be expected to be available to single organisms. 

The first stages for two of these degradations were straightforward hydrolytic reactions. 

In all the examples, organisms with undefined metabolic functions were present and probably fulfilled an important role in providing complex organic substrates in the form of cell lysis products or nutritional requirements. 

Reaction sequences used for the degradation of xenobiotics in natural systems may therefore be more complex than might plausibly be predicted on the basis of studies with pure cultures using relatively high substrate concentrations. 

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