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Careers in
industrial microbiology
&
biotechnology
Looking for an exciting career?
A career in industrial microbiology/biotechnology may be justthe one for you. Te following information answers questionsmost people have about this exciting and challenging careerpath:
•
What is industrial microbiology/biotechnology?
•
What kind of work does an industrial microbiologist do?
•
What training and education are required to succeedin industrial microbiology/ biotechnology?
•
Why should someone consider a career in industrialmicrobiology/biotechnology?
What is industrial microbiology/biotechnology?
Industrial microbiology or microbial biotechnology is the ap-plication of scientific and engineering principles to the pro-cessing of materials by microorganisms (such as bacteria,fungi, algae, protozoa and viruses) or plant and animal cells tocreate useful products or processes. Te microorganisms uti-lized may be natural isolates, laboratory selected mutants or
microbes that have been genetically engineered using recom-binant DNA methods. Te terms “industrial microbiology”and “biotechnology” are oen one and the same.Areas of industrial microbiology include quality assur-ance for the food, pharmaceutical, and chemical industries.Industrial microbiologists may also be responsible for airand plant contamination, health of animals used in testingproducts, and discovery of new organisms and pathways. Forinstance, most antibiotics come from microbial fermentationsinvolving a group of organisms called actinomycetes. Otherorganisms such as yeasts are used in baking, in the produc-tion of alcohol for beverages, and in fuel production (gasohol).Additional groups of microorganisms form products thatrange from organic acids to enzymes used to create varioussugars, amino acids, and detergents. For example, the sweet-ener aspartame is derived from amino acids produced by microorganisms.Industrial microbiologists may also deal with productsassociated with the food and dairy industries, with the pre- vention or deterioration of processed or manufactured goods,and with waste disposal systems. For more in-depth coverageof topics in industrial microbiology, you may want to exam-ine the Society for Industrial Microbiology’s peer-reviewed
Journal of Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology
and itshomepage www.simhq.org.
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