Table 1. Growth and PHA content at time zero and 24 h of co-cultures involving B. bacteriovorus HD100 or the Bd3709 mutant preying on PHA-accumulating P. putida KT2440.

Strain culturesa	Prey biomass 0 h (g l−1)	Prey PHA content 0 h (g l−1)	PHA content in the bacterial sediment 24 h (g l−1)	PHA hydrolysis product contents in medium 24 h (g l−1)	Prey cell count 24 h (105 cfu ml−1)	Predator cell count 24 h (108 pfu ml−1)
KT2440b	1.92 ± 0.08	1.07 ± 0.11	0.87 ± 0.06	0.15 ± 0.090	1270 ± 423	–
HD100/KT2440	1.92 ± 0.08	1.07 ± 0.11	0.65 ± 0.05	0.38 ± 0.070	1.05 ± 0.84	26.20 ± 2.62
Bd3709/KT2440	1.92 ± 0.08	1.07 ± 0.11	0.85 ± 0.05	0.24 ± 0.020	0.09 ± 0.1	15.20 ± 4.11

^aViable prey cell numbers at time zero of predation: (9.5 ± 2.4) · 10⁷ cfu ml⁻¹. Viable B. bacteriovorus HD100 cell numbers at time zero of predation: (8.3 ± 3.7) · 10⁷ pfu ml⁻¹. Viable B. bacteriovorus Bd3709 cell number at time zero of predation: (4.4 ± 2.3) · 10⁷ pfu ml⁻¹.

^bControl prey cultures (i.e., with no predatory bacteria).