Industrial microbiology
Encyclopedia
Industrial microbiology or microbial biotechnology encompasses the use of microorganism
s in the manufacture of food or industrial products. The use of microorganisms for the production of food, either human or animal, is often considered a branch of food microbiology
. The microorganisms used in industrial processes may be natural isolates, laboratory selected mutants or genetically engineered organisms.
It offers a solution related to solid or slurry sample.
and Bifidobacteria are amongst the most important groups of microorganisms used in the food industry. These bacteria are thought to have health-promoting abilities and many are used as probiotics for the prevention, alleviation and treatment of intestinal disorders in humans and animals.
of pollutant
s can be used to clean up contaminated environments. These bioremediation
and biotransformation
methods harness naturally occurring microbes to degrade, transform or accumulate a huge range of compounds including hydrocarbon
s (e.g. oil), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), pharmaceutical substances, radionuclide
s and metals. Microbial biofilm
s are particularly important in bioremediation.
Microorganisms may also help in the treatment of diseases such as cancer
. Research shows that clostridia
can selectively target cancer cells. Various strains of non-pathogenic clostridia have been shown to infiltrate and replicate within solid tumours. Clostridia therefore have the potential to deliver therapeutic proteins to tumours. Lactobacillus
spp. and other lactic acid bacteria possess numerous potential therapeutic properties including anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activities.
Vaccines are used to combat infectious disease, however the last decade has witnessed a revolution in the approach to vaccine design and development. Sophisticated technologies such as genomics, proteomics, functional genomics, and synthetic chemistry can be used for the rational identification of antigens, the synthesis of complex glycans, and the generation of engineered carrier proteins.
Members of the Streptomyces
genus are among the most prolific microorganisms producing secondary metabolites with wide uses in medicine and in agriculture. These organisms have a complex secondary metabolism producing antibiotic compounds and other metabolites with medicinal properties. Genomic studies, genomic mining and biotechnological approaches are being employed in the search for new antibiotics and other drugs in Streptomyces
.
consists of 20 plant-associated species, many of which cause important diseases of crops and other plants. Individual species comprise multiple pathovar
s, characterized by distinctive host specificity or mode of infection. Bacteria of the genus Xanthomonas are able to produce the acidic exopolysaccharide
xanthan gum. Because of its physical properties, it is widely used as a viscosifer, thickener, emulsifier or stabilizer in both food and non-food industries.
have a large chemical repertoire. Commodity products produced in Aspergillus cell 'factories' include citric, gluconic, itaconic, and kojic acid
. The use of Aspergillus niger
in citric acid production dates back to 1917. Citric acid is one of the most widely used food ingredients. It also has found use in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries as an acidulant and for aiding in the dissolution of active ingredients. Other technical applications of citric acid are as a hardener in adhesive and for retarding the setting of concrete. Citric acid
is a true 'bulk chemical' with an estimated production approximating more than 1.6 billion kg each year A. niger also has found use in the industrial production of gluconic acid, which is used as an additive in certain metal cleaning applications, as well as for the therapy for calcium and iron deficiencies. Aspergillus terreus is used for itaconic acid
production, a synthetic polymer. A. oryzae is fermented for kojic acid production which is used for skin whitening and as a precursor for synthesis of flavour enhancers.
es have been exploited for use as gene expression and delivery vectors in both insect and mammalian cells.
Microorganism
A microorganism or microbe is a microscopic organism that comprises either a single cell , cell clusters, or no cell at all...
s in the manufacture of food or industrial products. The use of microorganisms for the production of food, either human or animal, is often considered a branch of food microbiology
Food microbiology
Food microbiology is the study of the microorganisms that inhabit, create, or contaminate food. Of major importance is the study of microorganisms causing food spoilage. "Good" bacteria, however, such as probiotics, are becoming increasingly important in food science...
. The microorganisms used in industrial processes may be natural isolates, laboratory selected mutants or genetically engineered organisms.
Antibiotics
Industrial Microbiology is perhaps best known for its development of antibiotics and pharmaceutical agents. Penicillin, streptomycin, and a host of other antimicrobial agents originated from industrial microbiology in the 1950's and 1960's. Vial Lab can verify solid or slurry samples. This method of microbiological analysis was introduced by Royal Biotech.It offers a solution related to solid or slurry sample.
Food microbiology
Yogurt, cheese, chocolate, and silage (animal food) are all produced by industrial microbiology processes. 'Good' bacteria such as probiotics are becoming increasingly important in the food industry. Lactic Acid BacteriaLactic acid bacteria
The lactic acid bacteria comprise a clade of Gram-positive, low-GC, acid-tolerant, generally non-sporulating, non-respiring rod or cocci that are associated by their common metabolic and physiological characteristics. These bacteria, usually found in decomposing plants and lactic products, produce...
and Bifidobacteria are amongst the most important groups of microorganisms used in the food industry. These bacteria are thought to have health-promoting abilities and many are used as probiotics for the prevention, alleviation and treatment of intestinal disorders in humans and animals.
Biopolymers
A huge variety of biopolymers, such as polysaccharides, polyesters, and polyamides, are produced by microorganisms. These products range from viscous solutions to plastics. The genetic manipulation of microorganisms has permitted the biotechnological production of biopolymers with tailored material properties suitable for high-value medical application such as tissue engineering and drug delivery. Industrial microbiology can be used for the biosynthesis of xanthan, alginate, cellulose, cyanophycin, poly(gamma-glutamic acid), levan, hyaluronic acid, organic acids, oligosaccharides and polysaccharides, and polyhydroxyalkanoates.Bioremediation
Microbial biodegradationMicrobial biodegradation
Interest in the microbial biodegradation of pollutants has intensified in recent years as humanity strives to find sustainable ways to clean up contaminated environments...
of pollutant
Pollutant
A pollutant is a waste material that pollutes air, water or soil, and is the cause of pollution.Three factors determine the severity of a pollutant: its chemical nature, its concentration and its persistence. Some pollutants are biodegradable and therefore will not persist in the environment in the...
s can be used to clean up contaminated environments. These bioremediation
Bioremediation
Bioremediation is the use of microorganism metabolism to remove pollutants. Technologies can be generally classified as in situ or ex situ. In situ bioremediation involves treating the contaminated material at the site, while ex situ involves the removal of the contaminated material to be treated...
and biotransformation
Biotransformation
Biotransformation is the chemical modification made by an organism on a chemical compound. If this modification ends in mineral compounds like CO2, NH4+, or H2O, the biotransformation is called mineralisation....
methods harness naturally occurring microbes to degrade, transform or accumulate a huge range of compounds including hydrocarbon
Hydrocarbon
In organic chemistry, a hydrocarbon is an organic compound consisting entirely of hydrogen and carbon. Hydrocarbons from which one hydrogen atom has been removed are functional groups, called hydrocarbyls....
s (e.g. oil), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), pharmaceutical substances, radionuclide
Radionuclide
A radionuclide is an atom with an unstable nucleus, which is a nucleus characterized by excess energy available to be imparted either to a newly created radiation particle within the nucleus or to an atomic electron. The radionuclide, in this process, undergoes radioactive decay, and emits gamma...
s and metals. Microbial biofilm
Biofilm
A biofilm is an aggregate of microorganisms in which cells adhere to each other on a surface. These adherent cells are frequently embedded within a self-produced matrix of extracellular polymeric substance...
s are particularly important in bioremediation.
Waste biotreatment
Microorganisms are used to treat the vast quantities of wastes generated by modern societies. Biotreatment, the processing of wastes using living organisms, is an environmentally friendly, relatively simple and cost-effective alternative to physico-chemical clean-up options. Confined environments, such as bioreactors can be employed in biotreatment processes.Wastewater treatment
Biological wastewater treatment is undoubtedly one of the most important biotechnological processes, which have been used for over a century to treat municipal and industrial wastewaters. Culture-independent molecular techniques have been used to study the diversity and physiology of ecologically important microorganisms in wastewater treatment processes. A number of new exciting insights into the structure, function, and dynamics of complex microbial communities in wastewater treatment processes have been gained, which have significantly expanded our understanding of process design, operation and control. Microbes play a vital role in the cycling of nitrogen in wastewater treatment processes (including anaerobic ammonia oxidation processes) and methane fermentation processes.Health-care and medicine
Microorganisms are used to produce human or animal biologicals such as insulin, growth hormone, and antibodies. Diagnostic assays that use monoclonal antibody, DNA probe technology or real-time PCR are used as rapid tests for pathogenic organisms in the clinical laborarory.Microorganisms may also help in the treatment of diseases such as cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
. Research shows that clostridia
Clostridium
Clostridium is a genus of Gram-positive bacteria, belonging to the Firmicutes. They are obligate anaerobes capable of producing endospores. Individual cells are rod-shaped, which gives them their name, from the Greek kloster or spindle...
can selectively target cancer cells. Various strains of non-pathogenic clostridia have been shown to infiltrate and replicate within solid tumours. Clostridia therefore have the potential to deliver therapeutic proteins to tumours. Lactobacillus
Lactobacillus
Lactobacillus is a genus of Gram-positive facultative anaerobic or microaerophilic rod-shaped bacteria. They are a major part of the lactic acid bacteria group, named as such because most of its members convert lactose and other sugars to lactic acid. They are common and usually benign...
spp. and other lactic acid bacteria possess numerous potential therapeutic properties including anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activities.
Vaccines are used to combat infectious disease, however the last decade has witnessed a revolution in the approach to vaccine design and development. Sophisticated technologies such as genomics, proteomics, functional genomics, and synthetic chemistry can be used for the rational identification of antigens, the synthesis of complex glycans, and the generation of engineered carrier proteins.
Members of the Streptomyces
Streptomyces
Streptomyces is the largest genus of Actinobacteria and the type genus of the family Streptomycetaceae. Over 500 species of Streptomyces bacteria have been described. As with the other Actinobacteria, streptomycetes are gram-positive, and have genomes with high guanine and cytosine content...
genus are among the most prolific microorganisms producing secondary metabolites with wide uses in medicine and in agriculture. These organisms have a complex secondary metabolism producing antibiotic compounds and other metabolites with medicinal properties. Genomic studies, genomic mining and biotechnological approaches are being employed in the search for new antibiotics and other drugs in Streptomyces
Streptomyces
Streptomyces is the largest genus of Actinobacteria and the type genus of the family Streptomycetaceae. Over 500 species of Streptomyces bacteria have been described. As with the other Actinobacteria, streptomycetes are gram-positive, and have genomes with high guanine and cytosine content...
.
Archaea
Examination of microbes living in unusual environments (e.g. high temperatures, salt, low pH or temperature, high radiation) lead to discovery of microbes with new abilities that can be harnessed for industrial purposes.Corynebacteria
Corynebacteria are a diverse group Gram-positive bacteria found in a range of different ecological niches such as soil, vegetables, sewage, skin, and cheese smear. Corynebacterium glutamicum is of immense industrial importance and is one of the biotechnologically most important bacterial species with an annual production of more than two million tons of amino acids, mainly L-glutamate and L-lysine. The genome sequence of C. glutamicum has been published.Xanthomonas
The genus XanthomonasXanthomonas
Xanthomonas is a genus of Proteobacteria, many of which cause plant diseases. Most varieties of Xanthomonas are available from the National Collection of Plant Pathogenic Bacteria in the United Kingdom and other international culture collections such as ICMP in New Zealand, CFBP in France, and...
consists of 20 plant-associated species, many of which cause important diseases of crops and other plants. Individual species comprise multiple pathovar
Pathovar
A pathovar is a bacterial strain or set of strains with the same or similar characteristics, that is differentiated at infrasubspecific level from other strains of the same species or subspecies on the basis of distinctive pathogenicity to one or more plant hosts.Pathovars are named as a ternary or...
s, characterized by distinctive host specificity or mode of infection. Bacteria of the genus Xanthomonas are able to produce the acidic exopolysaccharide
Exopolysaccharide
Exopolysaccharides are high-molecular-weight polymers that are composed of sugar residues and are secreted by a microorganism into the surrounding environment. Microorganisms synthesize a wide spectrum of multifunctional polysaccharides including intracellular polysaccharides, structural...
xanthan gum. Because of its physical properties, it is widely used as a viscosifer, thickener, emulsifier or stabilizer in both food and non-food industries.
Aspergillus
Species within the genus AspergillusAspergillus
Aspergillus is a genus consisting of several hundred mold species found in various climates worldwide. Aspergillus was first catalogued in 1729 by the Italian priest and biologist Pier Antonio Micheli...
have a large chemical repertoire. Commodity products produced in Aspergillus cell 'factories' include citric, gluconic, itaconic, and kojic acid
Kojic acid
Kojic acid is a chelation agent produced by several species of fungi, especially Aspergillus oryzae, which has the Japanese common name koji. Kojic acid is a by-product in the fermentation process of malting rice, for use in the manufacturing of sake, the Japanese rice wine...
. The use of Aspergillus niger
Aspergillus niger
Aspergillus niger is a fungus and one of the most common species of the genus Aspergillus. It causes a disease called black mold on certain fruits and vegetables such as grapes, onions, and peanuts, and is a common contaminant of food...
in citric acid production dates back to 1917. Citric acid is one of the most widely used food ingredients. It also has found use in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries as an acidulant and for aiding in the dissolution of active ingredients. Other technical applications of citric acid are as a hardener in adhesive and for retarding the setting of concrete. Citric acid
Citric acid
Citric acid is a weak organic acid. It is a natural preservative/conservative and is also used to add an acidic, or sour, taste to foods and soft drinks...
is a true 'bulk chemical' with an estimated production approximating more than 1.6 billion kg each year A. niger also has found use in the industrial production of gluconic acid, which is used as an additive in certain metal cleaning applications, as well as for the therapy for calcium and iron deficiencies. Aspergillus terreus is used for itaconic acid
Itaconic acid
Itaconic acid, or methylenesuccinic acid, is an organic compound. Itaconic acid is a white crystalline powder. Itaconic acid is a naturally occurring compound, non-toxic, and readily biodegradable. The name itaconic was devised as an anagram of aconitic.Historically, itaconic acid was obtained by...
production, a synthetic polymer. A. oryzae is fermented for kojic acid production which is used for skin whitening and as a precursor for synthesis of flavour enhancers.
Viruses
Viruses that are pathogenic to insect pests can be exploited as biological control agents. Some viruses such as baculovirusBaculovirus
The baculoviruses are a family of large rod-shaped viruses that can be divided to two genera: nucleopolyhedroviruses and granuloviruses . While GVs contain only one nucleocapsid per envelope, NPVs contain either single or multiple nucleocapsids per envelope. The enveloped virions are further...
es have been exploited for use as gene expression and delivery vectors in both insect and mammalian cells.
See also
- Sergei Alexandrovich KorolevSergei Alexandrovich KorolevSergei Alexandrovich Korolev was a Russian microbiologist and professor and the founder of industrial microbiology. He was one of the founders of the Soviet dairy industry at the beginning of the 20th century...
- MicrobiologyMicrobiologyMicrobiology is the study of microorganisms, which are defined as any microscopic organism that comprises either a single cell , cell clusters or no cell at all . This includes eukaryotes, such as fungi and protists, and prokaryotes...
- BioremediationBioremediationBioremediation is the use of microorganism metabolism to remove pollutants. Technologies can be generally classified as in situ or ex situ. In situ bioremediation involves treating the contaminated material at the site, while ex situ involves the removal of the contaminated material to be treated...
- Food microbiologyFood microbiologyFood microbiology is the study of the microorganisms that inhabit, create, or contaminate food. Of major importance is the study of microorganisms causing food spoilage. "Good" bacteria, however, such as probiotics, are becoming increasingly important in food science...
- Environmental microbiologyEnvironmental microbiologyEnvironmental microbiology is the study of the composition and physiology of microbial communities in the environment. The environment in this case means the soil, water, air and sediments covering the planet and can also include the animals and plants that inhabit these areas...
- Iron in microbiologyIron in microbiologyIron is essential for almost all living organisms as it is involved in a wide variety of important metabolic processes. However, iron is not readily available and microorganisms therefore employ various iron uptake systems to secure sufficient supplies from their surroundings...