Microorganisms in Industrial Processes

Pharmaceutical and Chemical Industry

• Cortisone and hydrocortisone are produced with the help of fungus Rhizopus nigricans, which carries out stereospecific hydroxylation of a cortisone precursor.
• Vitamins and amino acids, such as vitamin B12, are produced using microorganisms like Propionibacterium.
• Acetone and butanol can be produced through fermentation processes involving Clostridium acetobutylicum.

Environmental

• Sewage and waste water treatment involve anaerobic and aerobic methods.
• Microorganisms can degrade hydrocarbons in petroleum, which can be detrimental if it occurs in tanks with water and air present.
• Bioremediation of oil spillages is a positive use of microorganisms.

Environmental

• Methane is produced by methanogenic bacteria, which has led to the development of biofuels.
• Microbial leaching of ores is a process that involves the oxidation of copper ores to soluble copper sulphate by acidophilic bacteria like Thiobacillus ferrooxidans.
• Many metals, such as copper, form insoluble sulphides.

Biotechnology

• Genetic engineering enables gene manipulation and the production of artificial gene products like insulin.
• Human insulin gene is engineered into a microorganism to produce recombinant vaccines.
• The thermostable DNA polymerase of Thermus aquaticus, known as Taq polymerase, has enabled more effective PCR.

Impact of Microorganisms on Humans

• Microorganisms have vastly increased the benefits to humans and minimized the damage they cause.
• Relatively few microorganisms cause disease to humans.
• In 1900, infection was the major cause of death, but statistics have changed since then.

Agriculture

• Legumes and nodules on roots contain bacteria that fix nitrogen, forming part of the nitrogen cycle.
• This reduces the need for fertilizers and is a symbiotic relationship.
• Bacteria in the digestive process of ruminants, such as ruminococci, digest cellulose in a symbiotic relationship.

Food Industry

• Lactic acid is produced by bacteria in dairy products, metabolizing lactose in milk.
• Butter is produced by adding lactic acid starter cultures to cream, which involves bacteria like Lactococcus cremoris or L.lactis.
• Cheese is produced by coagulating and fermenting milk, and adding other bacteria, such as Propionibacteria in Swiss cheese or Penicillium sp. in blue cheese.
• Vinegar is produced by fermenting ethyl alcohol to acetic acid using genera like Acetobacter or Gluconobacter.
• Citric acid is produced by fermenting using Aspergillus niger.
• Yeasts are used in edible fungi, alcoholic drinks, and baked goods.

Beneficial Uses of Microorganisms

• Saprophytic bacteria in the soil convert complex molecules into forms accessible to plants, taking part in the carbon, nitrogen, and sulphur cycles.
• Silage making involves fermenting hay anaerobically using Lactobacillus sp.
• Yoghurt is produced by fermenting low-fat milk with Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus bulgaricus.
• Probiotic yoghurts and drinks are also produced using microorganisms.
• Monosodium glutamate is produced from L-glutamic acid from Corynebacteria glutamicum grown aerobically on molasses.
• Bacteria are also used in coffee and cocoa preparation.
• Antibiotics are produced by large-scale fermentation processes involving filamentous fungi and bacteria of the Actinomycete group.
• Biological washing powders contain enzymes called subtilisins produced by Bacillus licheniformis, which hydrolyze most types of protein bonds, are pH stable, and non-Ca2+ dependant.