Dear Josh,
I once did consider the question of using the chemostat to observe increase in prototrophs. Unfortunately we can only maintain one strain in the chemostat--unless there is really little difference in their growth rates. But I'm sure that with a little effort one could find strains that could be maintained with no rapid change in time in their relative frequency in the chemostat. We ought to talk about this.
Jane and I are off to Jamaica Saturday for two weeks. Shall we bring back some Jamaican coli's [ . . . ] for you?--Did you get your electrons gear yet?
Regards to Esther
Aaron