noun

A device used to maintain a continuous culture at near maximal growth rate. This device maintains an excess of nutrients in the culture by continuously adding fresh medium from a reservoir. Culture volume is kept constant by means of an overflow. The turbidity of the culture is monitored (by spectrophotometer for example) and the flow of fresh medium is adjusted to keep turbidity constant. The main difference between a chemostat and turbidostat being that the turbidostat adjusts the flow rate of fresh medium dependent on culture turbidity.