Role of Microbes in Industrial Products: Biotechnology and microbiology have industrial microbiology as a branch that deals with the study of various microorganisms and their application in industries. Microbes are grown in very large vessels called fermentors or bioreactors. In industries, microbes are very much used to synthesize different types of products which are valuable for us. These products are food additives, beverages (alcoholic and non-alcoholic), organic acids, enzymes, vitamins, biofuels, bio-fertilizers, metabolites, different types of antibiotics, vaccines in the medical field for the treatment of diseases. Microbes play a vital role in the fermentation process to obtain several products.

Role of Microbes in Industrial Products

1. Fermented Beverages
a) Fermentors are the very large vessels that are required in production on an industrial scale for growing microbes.
b) Brewing refers to the production of beer by soaking a starch source, such as barley, in water and fermenting the resulting liquid with Yeast.
c) Saccharomyces cerevisiae is capable of producing alcohol from sugars only through the anaerobic process.
d) Distillation is used to extract or purify a liquid from a mixture or concentrate it.
e) Wine and beer are produced without distillation because the concentration of alcohol in these beverages is maintained at a low level.
f) Whisky, brandy, and rum are produced by distillation of the fermented broth.
g) For the making of bread, Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast is used and this is commonly called brewer’s yeast.

2. Antibiotics
a) The most widely used and significant discoveries of the twentieth century are antibiotics which are produced by microbes.
b) Antibiotics are chemical substances that can kill or inhibit the growth of disease-causing microbes.
c) Antibiotics are obtained from lichens, fungi, eubacteria, and actinomycetes.
d) Antibiotics increase our immunity to treat deadly diseases like diphtheria, leprosy, plague, whooping cough, which are the reasons for million deaths.
e) Penicillin was the first antibiotic discovered by Alexander Fleming, which was used to treat wounded American soldiers in World War II.
f) The full potential of penicillin was explored and publicized by Ernest Chain and Howard Florey, who was awarded the Nobel Prize for the discovery in the year 1945. Penicillin was extensively used for the treatment of wounds of soldiers during World War II.
g) There are many other antibiotics later produced by microbes that are used to treat different bacterial infections.
h) Chloromycetin is produced by Streptomyces venezuelae. This antibiotic is used to treat typhoid, typical pneumonia, bacterial urinary infections, whooping cough, and so on.
i) Genus Streptomyces, which belongs to actinomycetes, produces several antibiotics like streptomycin, chloramphenicol or chloromycetin, tetracycline, Terramycin, and erythromycin.

Microbes play a crucial role in the production of many industrial products. Some examples include:

• Food and beverage industry: Microbes such as yeast and bacteria are used in the production of fermented foods and beverages, such as bread, beer, wine, cheese, yogurt, and vinegar.
• Biofuels: Certain microbes, such as algae and fungi, can be used to produce biofuels, such as bioethanol and biodiesel.
• Pharmaceuticals: Microbes are used in the production of antibiotics, hormones, and vaccines, as well as in the biotransformation of drug intermediates.
• Biodegradable plastics: Microbes can be used to produce biodegradable plastics, such as polylactic acid (PLA), through the process of fermentation.
• Textiles: Microbes are used to produce natural dyes for textiles, and in the biodegradation of synthetic dyes.

Overall, microbes play a key role in industrial processes due to their ability to convert raw materials into valuable products through metabolic processes, such as fermentation.

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By Team Learning Mantras