15L-bioreactor
University of British Colombia
 
Christine L. Case
Biology
Skyline College


Industrial Microbiology 

 
This course integrates applications and products to illustrate the processes and techniques of industrial fermentation. The importance of GLPs and quality control are included in discussions of getting a product to market.

Anatomy of a benchtop fermenter
 
Things to do to prepare for class

History and fermentation

 

Fermentation & Human History
Beer
Chocolate

 

 

  Definitions of industrial microbiology, fermentation, and biotechnology
    • From pre-Colombian Americas to Pasteur, Takamine, and Weizmann
      • Bread, beer, Asian foods
      • Butyl alcohol-acetone fermentation

Natural processes and mixed culture fermentations

      • Chocolate
      • Malo-lactic fermentation in wine

Pure cultures

Microbial metabolism

Primary and secondary metabolites

      • Penicillin
      • Ethyl alcohol
      • Bacteriocins & dairy fermentations
     
Technology and microbial growth

 

Discover a new antibiotic
Industrial ferm. lab exp.

  Media

CHONPS, growth factors, & trace elements

      • Superoxide dismutase
      • Taxol

Liquid v. solid-substrate fermentations

      • Koji process
      • Citric acid production

Cell cultures (bacteria, fungi)

      • Bacillus thuringiensis
      • Pseudomonas syringae

Growth and synchronous culture

      • Spectrophotometry
      • Plate counts
      • Bioreactors, fermenters, and chemostats
        • Batch-fed, continuous, perfusion

Contamination and its control

      • Foam out

Scale-up

Immobilized enzymes

      • Aspartic acid and aspartame
     
Designing products and microbial genetics   Selection
      • MSG
      • Cellulase
      • Detergent enzymes & Other industrial enzymes

Screening for natural products

      • Antibiotics
      • Antimicrobial peptides

Making mutants: additions, deletions, site-directed mutagenesis

      • Subtilisins

Evolution

Selection

      • Xanthan

Directed evolution

    • Site-directed mutagenesis
    • PCR
      • Peroxidase

Genetic engineering

Vectors and recombinant DNA

Induction

Secretion

Gene and product stability

      • Hepatitis B vaccine
      • Renninase

Agrobacterium & the Ti plasmid

Antisense DNA

      • Endless Summer

Post-harvest modification

      • Penicillin
     
Products   Pharmaceutical

Agricultural

Food

Recreational

Designer jeans

     
Environmental applications   Bioremediation & Wastewater treatment

Vacuum heap

      • BXT

Bioconversion

      • Gasahol, methane
      • Global warming
      • Methanogens and methanotrophs

Conversions to useful products

Anaerobic reactors

      • Paper, whey

Biosensors

      • Mercury, penicillin
     
Extremophiles  
      • New enzymes for manufacturing processes
      • Protein computer chips