A laboratory device that keeps a population of microorganisms (like bacteria) growing at a steady state by automatically controlling the supply of nutrients and removal of waste.
From 'chemo-' (chemical) and '-stat' (a device that maintains a constant state). Developed in microbiology labs in the 1950s-60s as scientists needed controlled environments to study bacterial growth rates.
A chemostat is like a self-regulating robot babysitter for bacteria—it keeps them in a perfect Goldilocks zone of food and space so scientists can watch how they behave when nothing changes, revealing their true nature.
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