Substrate inhibition in bioreactors occurs when the concentration of substrate (such as glucose, salts, or phenols) exceeds the optimal parameters and reduces the growth rate of the cells within the bioreactor. This is often confused with substrate limitation, which describes environments in which cell growth is limited due to of low substrate. Limited conditions can be modeled with the Monod equation; however, the Monod equation is no longer suitable in substrate inhibiting conditions. A Monod deviation, such as the Haldane (Andrew) equation, is more suitable for substrate inhibiting conditions. These cell growth models are analogous to equations that describe enzyme kinetics, although, unlike enzyme kinetics parameters, cell growth parameters are generally empirically estimated.
