Uses of microbes

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  • Created by: JS007
  • Created on: 08-01-18 13:56
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  • Uses of microbes
    • Beer production
      • Barley is converted into ethanol
      • Firstly, the barley must be coverted, by enzymes into low molecular weight sugars
      • saccharomyces can only utilise low molecular weight sugars
      • saccharomyces ( yeast) converts the sugars into ethanol
    • Wine production
      • The ratio of malic acid: sucrose inside the grape must reach optimum levels
      • The colour of the wine depends on whether the pigment-containing skins are used
    • Industrial solvents
      • saccharomyces is used to produce ethanol which is added to petrol
      • About 5% of 'petrol' is actually ethanol
      • clostridium produces acetone, butanol and ethanol
    • Amino acids
      • May be used to correct dietary deficiencies
      • MSG (monosodium glutamate)
      • An auxotroph is created by genetic modification which overproduces a specific compound
      • Cells grown in a biotin deficient culture will have leaky membranes and leak the desired product
    • Organic acids
      • Citric acid is produced by the fungus aspergillus
      • Aspergillus is grown in pelleted morphology
      • Pelleted morphology stimulates anaerobic metabolism
    • Polysaccharides
      • xanthomonas produces xanthan gum (naturally from seaweed)
      • Used in food industry or for oil extraction
      • Microbes must be grown in a phosphate limited culture
        • This ensures that all carbon molecules go towards carbohydrate production, not ATP production
    • Lipids
      • alicaligenes produces hydroxybutryate
      • Hydroxybutryate is a biodegradable alternative to crude oil plastics
    • Vitamins
      • Propionibacterium produces vitamin B12
    • Quorn 'meat
      • Filamentous fungus fusarium is grown on crude oil waste products
      • Also known as single-celled protein

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