Limits RegistryPUBLIC RECORD
Limits RegistryEscherichia coli can approach a 20-minute doubling time in optimized rich-medium laboratory cultures.
The question, scope, and sources behind this Registry record.
Escherichia coli can approach a 20-minute doubling time in optimized rich-medium laboratory cultures.
Track the shortest reproducible population doubling time for a bacterial culture during sustained exponential growth.
The shortest doubling time is a physiological performance record, not a species-wide constant. Medium composition, temperature, aeration, inoculum history, strain, and the definition of exponential growth all affect the measured value.
World Health Organization data and guidelines — Minimum bacterial doubling time under laboratory conditionsChange a parameter to stress-test whether a proposed result is still inside the published specification. This is an audit aid, not a proof checker.
Current frontiers derived from accepted Claims.
The frontier is not sacred
Most progress starts with a disagreement that survives contact with evidence. If you can push the known lower bound up or pull the upper bound down, show us the work.
≥ when you have shown that at least this value is achievable.≤ when you have shown that anything above this value is impossible.No vibes. State the value, define the scope, and link the paper, proof, code, or reproduction that lets another person check it. Editors review every challenge before the public record changes.
Challenge this recordAssertions tied to evidence, attribution, and review.
The frontier as it changed over time.
Only accepted Claims matching the current specification contribute to the displayed bounds. Strict inequalities remain open; contradictory Claims require editorial review.
Permanent ID limitsregistry.com/limits/LR-004206
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Limits Registry. LR-004206. Minimum bacterial doubling time under laboratory conditions. 2026.