Microbial Metabolism and Biotechnology Tutorial Worksheet (COMPLETED)

Section A: Environmental Biotechnology

What are the cell components in microalgae which can be converted to biodiesel? (1)

LIPIDS

What
are two
main challenges to algal biodiesel “replacing” diesel? (2)
THE MASSSIVE AMOUNT OF WATER REQUIRED TO CULTIVATE THE ALGAE ON A
GLOBAL SCALE. THE COST OF THE LIPID EXTRACTION AND CONVERSION TO BIODIESEL
PROCESS (TRANSESTERIFICATION)

What is bioaugmentation during bioremediation? (1)

INNOCULTION OF CONTAMINATED WATER OR SOIL WITH ORGANISMS KNOWN TO DEGRADE

THE CONTAMINANTS TO SPEED UP THE CATABOLISM – MIXED RESULTS IN THE LITERATURE

INCORPORATION OF MOLECULAR OXYGEN INTO THE NAPTHALENE RING STRUCTURE

AS THE FIRST STEP OF ITS AEROBIC BREAKDOWN (CATABOLISM) What

reaction does the enzyme Naphthalene Dioxygenase catalyse? (2)

Which organisms produce ligninolytic enzymes and why are they so potentially useful in
bioremediation? (3)

MAINLY LIGNINOLYTIC FUNGI (E.G. WHITE ROT SPECIES) – THESE ENZYMES CATALYSE NON-
SPEFIC BREAKDOWN OF LIGNIN (WHICH IS A LARGE COMPLEX NON-REPEATING MOLECULE
WHICH CONTAINS AROMATIC GROUPS) AND ARE CAPABLE OF CATALYSING CATABOLISM OF A
WIDE RANGE OF AROMATIC CONTAMINANTS - THEY ARE ALSO EXTRACELLULAR AND CAN START
TO BREAK DOWN CONTAMINANTS BEFORE THE BREAKDOWN PRODUCTS ARE TAKEN INTO THE
CELL.

What is a bioleaching consortium? (2)

AN ASSOCIATION OF MICROORGANISMS (IN THIS CASE MAINLY BACTERIA) WHICH
ACHIEVE THE REMOVAL OF METALS FROM e.g. WEEE (WASTE ELECTRICAL AND
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT). THE CONSORTIUM’S COMBINED METABOLIC PATHWAYS
ALLOWS IT TO ACHIEVE MORE THAN ANY INDIVIDUAL ORGANISM FROM THE
ASSOCIATION WORKING ALONE
Section B: Clinical/Pharmaceutical Biotechnology

Which microorganism was the original source of cephalosporins? (1)

Acremonium (A FUNGUS)

What
does broad spectrum antibiotic mean? (1)

ACTIVE AGAINST A WIDE RANGE OF BACTERIAL PATHOGENS – GRAM POSITIVE AND

NEGATIVE

Are 4th
generation cephalosporins broad spectrum? (1)

YES (HIGHLY EFFECTIVE AT PENETRATING GRAM NEGATIVE OUTER MEMBRAE TO

EXTEND SPECTRUM OF ACTIVITY)

What
is meant by semi-synthetic antibiotic? (1)

CHEMICALLY ALTERED METABOLITE ORIGINALLY PRODUCED BY A MICROORGANSISM

What is
a mRNA vaccine? (2)

mRNA vaccines give instructions for our cells to make a harmless

piece of pathogen protein inducing an immune response to
important antigenic components of the pathogen

What is quorum quenching and how could it be used clinically? (2)

DISRUPTING THE CELL-TO-CEL SIGNALLING THAT BACTERIA USE TO SWITCH ON

SPECIFIC GENETIC ATTRIBUTES AT POPULATION LEVELS – SOME PATHOGENS USE THIS
TO SWITCH ON THEIR VIRULENCE AND PRODUCE PROTEINS ESSENTIAL TO CAUSE
INFECTION
What advantage might quorum quenching compounds have over antibiotics? (2)

DOESN’T LEAD TO RESISTANCE IN THE SAME WAY THAT SELECTION PRESSURE DOES
WITH ANTIBIOTICS - SOME QUESTIONS OVER THIS

Section C: Food Biotechnology

What are synbiotics in the health food industry? (2)

A COMBINATION OF BENEFICIAL GUT BACTERIA AND NUTRIENTS TO STIMUATE THEIR

GROWTH AND COLONISATION IN THE GUT

Name
one organism involved in the production of the following fermented foods: (4)

(a) Soy Sauce

(b) Emmental (Swiss) Cheese
(c) Tempeh
(d) Sauerkraut

(A) Aspergillus oryzae

(B) SEVERAL (Lactobacillus, Streptococcus) BUT Propionibacterium PRODUCES THE CO2
LEADING TO THE HOLES IN THE CHEESE
(C) Rhizopus oligosporus
(D) Lactobacillus, Leuconostoc, Klebsiella, Enterobacter – SPECIFIC STAGES

What are bacteriophage and how might they be used as novel food preservatives? (2)

VIRUSES WHICH SELCTIVELY TARGET BACTERIA - CAN BE USED TO REDUCE THE

POPULATION OF SPOILAGE ORGANSISMS IN FOOD (I.E. THOSE PRODUCING
PROTEOLYTIC, LIPOLYTIC OR SACCAROLYTIC ENZYMES)

What is
Agaricus bisporus better known as? (1)

Button Mushroom - the typical mushroom in your fry up!