Fig. 5

Productivity–yield pareto surfaces for A. succinogenes and E. coli. Productivity–yield surfaces are calculated by holding productivity constant while maximizing yield for a given number of stages. Experimentally realized productivity and yields are shown in gray, with most points falling in the space predicted by single-stage strategies. References for the experimental points are given in Tables 4 and 5 for A. succinogenes and E. coli, respectively. The results indicate that improving existing yields in A. succinogenes fermentations would lead to greater gains than improving productivity. Similarly in E. coli, the results show that higher productivities could likely be achieved by leveraging aerobic growth modes more effectively