Industrial fermentation

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Industrial fermentation

Fermentation has many important uses in industry. Though the word fermentation can have stricter definitions, when speaking of it in industrial fermentation it more loosely refers to the breakdown of organic substances and re-assembly into other substances. Somewhat paradoxically, fermenter culture in industrial capacity often refers to highly oxygenated and aerobic growth conditions, whereas fermentation

Fermentation (biochemistry)

Fermentation is the process of deriving energy from the Redox of organic compounds, such as carbohydrates, using an Endogeny electron acceptor, which is usually an organic compound....
in the biochemical context is a strictly anaerobic process.

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Encyclopedia

Fermentation (biochemistry)

ABE fermentation

ABE fermentation is a process that utilizes bacterial fermentation to produce acetone, butanol and ethanol from starch. It was the primary process used to make acetone during World War II, such as to produce Cordite....
.

Food fermentation

Ancient fermented food processes, such as making bread

Bread

Bread is a staple food prepared by baking a dough of flour and water. It may be leavened or unleavened. Edible salt, fat and a leavening agent such as yeast are common ingredients, though bread may contain a range of other ingredients: milk, Egg , sugar, spice, fruit , vegetables , Nut or seeds ....
, wine

Wine

Wine is an alcoholic beverage often made of fermentation grape juice. The natural chemical balance of grapes is such that they can ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes or other nutrients....
, cheese

Cheese

Cheese is a food consisting of proteins and fat from milk, usually the milk of cattle, Water Buffalo, goats, or sheep's milk. It is produced by Coagulation of the milk protein casein....
, curds, idli

Idli

The idli , also romanized "idly" or "iddly" and plural "idlis", is a savory cake popular throughout South Indian cuisine. The cakes are usually two to three inches in diameter and are made by steaming a batter consisting of fermented urad s and rice....
, dosa

Dosa

The Dosa or Dosai is a South Indian culture#Cuisine delicacy made from rice and urad s. Dosai is a typical South Indian food, eaten for breakfast or dinner, and is rich in carbohydrates and protein....
, etc., can be dated to more than 6,000 years ago

5th millennium BC

The 5th millennium BC saw the spread of agriculture from the Near East throughout southern and central Europe.Urban cultures in Mesopotamia and Anatolia flourish, developing the wheel....
. They were developed long before man had any knowledge of the existence of the microorganism

Microorganism

A microorganism or microbe is an organism that is microscopic . The study of microorganisms is called microbiology, a subject that began with Anton van Leeuwenhoek's discovery of microorganisms in 1675, using a microscope of his own design....
s involved. Also, fermentation is a powerful economic incentive for semi-industrialized countries, in their willingness to produce bio-ethanol.

Pharmaceuticals and the biotechnology industry

There are 5 major groups of commercially important fermentation:

Microbial cell
Cell (biology)

The cell is the structural and functional unit of all known Life organisms. It is the smallest unit of an organism that is classified as living, and is often called the building bricks of life....
s or biomass
Biomass

Biomass, as a renewable energy source, refers to living and recently dead biological material that can be used as fuel or for industrial production....
as the product, e.g. single cell protein
Single cell protein

In essence a single cell protein is a protein extracted from cultured algae, yeasts, or bacteria and used as a substitute for protein-rich foods, especially in animal feeds....
, bakers yeast, lactobacillus
Lactobacillus

Lactobacillus is a genus of Gram-positive facultative anaerobic or microaerophilic 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....
, etc.
Microbial enzyme
Enzyme

Enzymes are biomolecules that catalysis chemical reactions. Almost all enzymes are proteins. In enzymatic reactions, the molecules at the beginning of the process are called Substrate , and the enzyme converts them into different molecules, the products....
s: catalase
Catalase

Catalase is a common enzyme found in nearly all living organisms which are exposed to oxygen, where it functions to catalyst the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide to water and oxygen....
, amylase
Amylase

Amylase is an enzyme that breaks starch down into sugar. Amylase is present in human saliva, where it begins the chemical process of digestion....
, protease
Protease

A protease is any enzyme that conducts proteolysis, that is, begins protein catabolism by hydrolysis of the peptide bonds that link amino acids together in the polypeptide chain, which form a molecule of protein....
, pectinase
Pectinase

Pectinase is a general term for enzymes that break down pectin, a polysaccharide substrate that is found in the cell walls of plants. One of the most studied and widely used commercial pectinases is polygalacturonase....
, glucose isomerase
Glucose isomerase

Glucose-6-phosphate isomerase, or phosphoglucose isomerase, is an enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of glucose-6-phosphate into fructose 6-phosphate in the second step of glycolysis....
, cellulase
Cellulase

Cellulase refers to a class of enzymes produced chiefly by fungi, bacteria, and protozoans that catalyze the cellulolysis of cellulose. However, there are also cellulases produced by other types of organisms such as plants and animals....
, hemicellulase, lipase
Lipase

A lipase is a water-soluble enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of ester chemical bond in water?insoluble, lipid substrates. Lipases thus comprise a subclass of the esterases....
, lactase
Lactase

Lactase , a part of the ?-galactosidase family of enzymes, is a glycoside hydrolase involved in the hydrolysis of the disaccharide lactose into constituent galactose and glucose monomers....
, streptokinase
Streptokinase

Streptokinase is a protein produced by beta-haemolytic streptococcus and is used as an effective and inexpensive clot-dissolving medication in some cases of myocardial infarction and pulmonary embolism....
, etc.
Microbial metabolite
Metabolite

Metabolites are the intermediates and products of metabolism. The term metabolite is usually restricted to small molecules. A primary metabolite is directly involved in normal growth, development, and reproduction....
s :

Primary metabolites – ethanol
Ethanol

Ethanol, also called ethyl alcohol, pure alcohol, grain alcohol, or drinking alcohol, is a volatility , flammable, colorless liquid....
, citric acid
Citric acid

Citric acid is a weak organic chemistry acid, and it is a natural preservative and is also used to add an acidic, or sour, taste to foods and soft drinks....
, glutamic acid
Glutamic acid

Glutamic acid is one of the 20 proteinogenic amino acids and its codons are GAA and GAG. It is a non-essential amino acid. The carboxylate anions and salt of glutamic acid are known as glutamates....
, lysine
Lysine

Lysine is an a-amino acid with the chemical formula HO2CCH4NH2. This amino acid is an essential amino acid, which means that humans cannot synthesize it....
, vitamin
Vitamin

A vitamin is an organic compound required as a nutrient in tiny amounts by an organism. A compound is called a vitamin when it cannot be biosynthesis in sufficient quantities by an organism, and must be obtained from the diet....
s, polysaccharide
Polysaccharide

Polysaccharides are relatively complex carbohydrates. They are polymers made up of many monosaccharides joined together by glycosidic bonds. They are therefore very large, often branched, macromolecules....
s etc.
Secondary metabolites: all antibiotic
Antibiotic

In common usage, an antibiotic is a substance or compound that kills or inhibits the growth of bacteria. Antibiotics belong to the group of antimicrobial compounds used to treat infections caused by microorganisms, including fungus and protozoa....
fermentation

Recombinant products: insulin
Insulin

Insulin is a hormone with extensive effects on both metabolism and several other body systems . Insulin causes most of the body's cells to take up glucose from the blood , storing it as glycogen in the liver and muscle, and stops use of fat as an energy source....
, HBV, interferon
Interferon

Interferons are natural proteins produced by the cells of the immune system of most vertebrates in response to challenges by foreign agents such as viruses, parasites and tumor cells....
, GCSF, streptokinase
Streptokinase

Streptokinase is a protein produced by beta-haemolytic streptococcus and is used as an effective and inexpensive clot-dissolving medication in some cases of myocardial infarction and pulmonary embolism....
Biotransformations: phenyl acetyl carbinol, steroid
Steroid

A steroid is a terpenoid lipid characterized by a carbon skeleton with four fused rings, generally arranged in a 6-6-6-5 fashion.Steroids vary by the functional groups attached to these rings and the oxidation state of the rings....
biotransformation
Biotransformation

Biotransformation is the chemical modification made by an organism on a chemical compound. If this modification ends in mineral compounds like CO2, NH3+ or H2O, the biotransformation is called mineralisation....
, etc.

Nutrient sources for industrial fermentation

Growth media are required for industrial fermentation, since any microbe requires water, oxygen, an energy source, a carbon source, a nitrogen source and micronutrients for growth.

Carbon & energy source + nitrogen source + O₂ + other requirements ? Biomass + Product + byproducts + CO₂ + H₂O + heat

Nutrient	Raw material
Carbon
Glucose Glucose Glucose , a monosaccharide also known as grape sugar, blood sugar, or corn sugar, is a very important carbohydrate in biology....	corn sugar, starch Starch File:Amylose2.svgFile:Amylopektin Sessel.svgStarch or amylum is a polysaccharide carbohydrate consisting of a large number of glucose units joined together by glycosidic bonds.... , cellulose Cellulose File:Cellulose Sessel.svgCellulose is an organic compound with the chemical formula , a polysaccharide consisting of a linear chain of several hundred to over ten thousand ? linked D-glucose units....
Sucrose Sucrose Sucrose is a disaccharide of glucose and fructose, with the molecular formula C12H22O11. Its systematic name is a-D-glucopyranosyl- -?-D-fructofuranoside ....	sugarcane Sugarcane Sugarcane is a genus of 6 to 37 species of tall perennial plant Poaceae , native to warm temperate to tropical regions of the Old World. They have stout, jointed, fibrous stalks that are rich in sugar and measure 2 to 6 meters tall.... , sugar beet Sugar beet Sugar beet , a member of the Chenopodiaceae family, is a plant whose root contains a high concentration of sucrose. It is grown commercially for sugar production.... molasses Molasses Molasses is a thick by-product from the processing of the sugar beet or sugar cane into sugar. The word molasses comes from the Portuguese language word mela?o, which comes from "meli", the Greek word for "honey"....
glycerol Glycerol Glycerol is a chemical compound also commonly called glycerin or glycerine. It is a colorless, odorless, Viscosity liquid that is widely used in pharmaceutical formulations....
Starch Starch File:Amylose2.svgFile:Amylopektin Sessel.svgStarch or amylum is a polysaccharide carbohydrate consisting of a large number of glucose units joined together by glycosidic bonds....
Maltodextrine
Lactose Lactose Lactose is a sugar that is found most notably in milk. Lactose makes up around 2?8% of milk . The name comes from the Latin word for milk, plus the -ose ending used to name sugars....	milk whey Whey Whey or milk plasma is the liquid remaining after milk has been curdled and strained; it is a by-product of the manufacture of cheese or casein and has several commercial uses....
fat Fat Fats consist of a wide group of compounds that are generally soluble in organic solvents and largely insoluble in water. Chemistry, fats are generally ester of glycerol and fatty acids.... s	vegetable oils
Hydrocarbons	petroleum Petroleum Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid found in rock formations in the Earth consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights, plus other organic compounds.... fractions
Nitrogen
Protein Protein Proteins are organic compounds made of amino acids arranged in a linear chain and joined together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of adjacent amino acid Residue ....	soybean Soybean The soybean or soya bean is a species of legume native to East Asia. The plant is classed as an oilseed rather than a Pulse . It is an annual plant that has been used in China for 5,000 years as a food and a component of drugs.... meal, cornsteep liquor, distillers' solubles
Ammonia Ammonia Ammonia is a chemical compound with the chemical formula nitrogenhydrogen. It is normally encountered as a gas with a characteristic pungent odor....	pure ammonia or ammonium salts urea
Nitrate Nitrate In inorganic chemistry, a nitrate is a salt of nitric acid with an ion composed of one nitrogen and three oxygen atoms . In organic chemistry the esters of nitric acid and various alcohols are called nitrates....	nitrate salts
Phosphorus source	phosphate salts
Vitamins and growth factors
	Yeast, Yeast extract
	Wheat germ meal, cotton seed meal
	Beef extract
	Corn steep liquor

Trace element

In analytical chemistry, a trace element is an Chemical element in a sample that has an average concentration of less than 100 parts per million atoms, or less than 100 micrograms per gram....
s: Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn, Mo, Co

Antifoaming agents : Esters, fatty acids, fats, silicones, sulphonates, polypropylene glycol

Buffer

Buffer

Buffer may refer to:* Buffer state, a country lying between two potentially hostile greater powers, thought to prevent conflict between them* Buffer zone, any area that keeps two or more other areas distant from one another, may be demilitarized...
s: Calcium carbonate, phosphates

Growth factor

Growth factor

The term growth factor refers to a naturally occurring protein capable of stimulating cellular growth, proliferation and cellular differentiation....
s: Some microorganisms cannot synthesize the required cell components themselves and need to be supplemented, e.g. with thiamine

Thiamine

'Thiamine', or 'thiamin', sometimes called aneurin, is a water-soluble vitamin of the B complex , whose phosphate derivatives are involved in many cellular processes....
, biotin

Biotin

Biotin, also known as vitamin H or B7, has the chemical formula C10H16N2O3S , is a water-soluble B-complex vitamin which is composed of an ureido ring fused with a tetrahydrothiophene ring....
, calcium pentothenate

Precursors: Directly incorporated into the desired product: Phenyl ethylamine into Benzyl penicillin, Phenyl acetic acid into Penicillin G

Inhibitor

Inhibitor

Inhibitor or inhibition may refer to:* Corrosion inhibitor, a substance that decreases the rate of metal oxidation* Enzyme inhibitor, a substance that binds to an enzyme and decreases the enzyme's activity...
s: To get the specific products: e.g. sodium barbital

Barbital

Barbital , also called barbitone, was the first commercially marketed barbiturate. It was used as a sleeping aid from 1903 until the mid-1950s....
for rifamycin

Rifamycin

The rifamycins are a group of antibiotics which are synthesized either naturally by the bacterium Amycolatopsis mediterranei, or artificially....

Inducer

Inducer

In molecular biology, an inducer is a molecule that starts gene expression.For a gene to be expressed, its DNA sequence must be copied to make a smaller, mobile molecule called messenger RNA , which carries the instructions for making a protein to the site where the protein is manufactured ....
s: The majority of the enzymes used in industrial fermentation are inducible and are synthesized in response of inducers: e.g. starch for amylases, maltose for pollulanase, pectin for pectinase,olive oil and tween are also used at times. Chelators: Chelators are the chemicals used to avoid the precipitation of metal ions. Chelators like EDTA

EDTA

EDTA is a widely used acronym for the chemical compound ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid . EDTA is a polyamino carboxylic acid with the chemical formula [CH2N2]2....
, citric acid

Citric acid

Citric acid is a weak organic chemistry acid, and it is a natural preservative and is also used to add an acidic, or sour, taste to foods and soft drinks....
, polyphosphate

Polyphosphate

Polyphosphates are anionic phosphate polymers linked between hydroxyl groups and hydrogen atoms. The polymerization that takes place is known as a condensation reaction....
s are used in low concentrations.

Sewage disposal

In the process of sewage disposal, sewage is digested by enzymes secreted by bacteria. Solid organic matters are broken down into harmless, soluble substances and carbon dioxide. Liquids that result are disinfected to remove pathogens before being discharged into rivers or the sea or can be used as liquid fertilisers. Digested solids, known also as sludge, is dried and used as fertilisers. Gaseous by-products such as methane, can be utilised as biogas to fuel generators. One advantage of bacterial digestion is that it reduces the bulk and odour of sewage, thus reducing space needed for dumping, on the other hand, a major disadvantage of bacterial digestion in sewage disposal is that it is a very slow process.

Phases of microbial growth

When a particular organism is introduced into a selected growth medium, the medium is inoculated with the particular organism. Growth of the inoculum does not occur immediately, but takes a little while. This is the period of adaptation, called the lag phase. Following the lag phase, the rate of growth of the organism steadily increases, for a certain period--this period is the log or exponential phase. After a certain time of exponential phase, the rate of growth slows down, due to the continuously falling concentrations of nutrients and/or a continuously increasing (accumulating) concentrations of toxic substances. This phase, where the increase of the rate of growth is checked, is the deceleration phase. After the deceleration phase, growth ceases and the culture enters a stationary phase or a steady state. The biomass remains constant, except when certain accumulated chemicals in the culture lyse the cells (chemolysis). Unless other micro-organisms contaminate the culture, the chemical constitution remains unchanged. Mutation of the organism in the culture can also be a source of contamination, called internal contamination.

Industrial fermentation

Food fermentation

Pharmaceuticals and the biotechnology industry

Nutrient sources for industrial fermentation

Sewage disposal

Phases of microbial growth

See also

External links

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