Biotech Q2W2-3 Fermentation

Are you familiar to the story in the Bible where Jesus turns
water into wine?

- In the old times, people used their feet to crush grapes so they can produce
wines and called the process as “Fruit of the Foot”.
- But in the modern times we call the process Fermentation.
What is Fermentation?
- It is an anaerobic process. One that takes place in the absence of oxygen, in
which certain bacteria thrive. There are a variety of ways to initiate the process
of fermentation giving the friendly, acid-loving bacteria a chance to replicate to
sufficient numbers that they have an advantage over the less friendly
microorganisms that can set in.
Short History of Fermentation
- The term "ferment" comes from the Latin word fervere, which means "to boil."
- Fermentation was described by late 14th century alchemists, but not in the
modern sense. The chemical process of fermentation became a subject of
scientific investigation about the year 1600.
- In the 1850s and 1860s, Louis Pasteur became the first scientist to study
fermentation when he demonstrated fermentation was caused by living cells.
However, Pasteur was unsuccessful in his attempts to extract the enzyme
responsible for fermentation from yeast cells.
- In 1897, German chemist Eduard Buechner ground yeast, extracted
fluid from them, and found the liquid could ferment a sugar solution.
Buechner's experiment is considered the beginning of the science of
biochemistry, earning him the 1907 Nobel Prize in chemistry.

Three Main Different Types of Fermentation

• Lactic Acid Fermentation

- It occurs when yeasts and bacteria convert starches or sugars into lactic acid
in foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, pickles, yoghurt and sourdough bread.

• Alcohol Fermentation
- It occurs when the pyruvate molecules in starches or sugars are broken down
by yeasts into alcohol and carbon dioxide molecules to produce wine and beer.

• Acetic Acid Fermentation of Starches or Sugars

- It occurs when the glucose is converted to ethanol and then the ethanol is
converted to acetic acid.

How Does Fermentation Work?

- Microbes use carbohydrates (sugars, such as glucose) for energy to fuel their
survival. To make use of that energy, organic chemicals like adenosine
triphosphate (ATP) deliver it when needed to every part of a cell.
- These microbes and our own body cells use respiration to generate ATP. The
most efficient way for them to do that is through a process known as aerobic
respiration, which requires oxygen.
- Aerobic respiration starts with glycolysis, where glucose is converted into
pyruvic acid. Then when there's enough oxygen around, aerobic respiration
takes place.

Biotech Q2-W4
Common Microbes used in Biotechnology

Microbes
● They are living organisms
● They are so small
● They come in different shapes in sizes
● They can be found EVERYWHERE
● Examples of these include bacteria, protozoans, viruses, yeast mold, and
Algae
The Three Main Types of Microbes
● Fungi
● Bacteria
● Virus

What are Fungi?

● They are the largest of all microbes

● They are eukaryotes, single celled or multicellular organisms

● They have a cell wall and a cell membrane
● They can be found in any habitat but mostly on land
● Examples of these are yeasts, rusts, mold, and mushrooms

What are Bacteria?

● They are microscopic, single celled, and lack nuclei

● They are Prokaryotes

● They have both cell wall and cell membrane
● They are usually named after their shapes and some have tails
● They are found everywhere

What are Viruses?

● They are the smallest microbes
● They lack nuclei, cell wall, and cell membrane
● They are nonliving until they find a host
(Outside the cell - nonliving Inside the cell - living)
● When the virus penetrates to your cell, it hacks a part of your DNA which then
in mitosis, the DNA affected by the virus will duplicate and will spread
throughout your body.
● They lack the capacity to thrive and reproduce outside the body of a host
● They can easily spread from one person to another.

Advantages & Disadvantages of Fungi, Bacteria,

and Viruses
Fungi
Advantages:
 Fungi are used in brewing – yeast is used to make alcohol.
 In baking, yeast is added to the dough to make it rise.
 As decomposers, in soil, can produce antibiotics like penicillin and make
flavorsome cheeses.
Disadvantages:
 Can cause food spoilage like moldy bread.
 Causes skin diseases like Athlete’s foot, ringworm, and thrush.

Bacteria
Advantages:
 Used to make yoghurt and cheese.
 Decomposers in soil break down dead and decaying matter to release nutrients.
 Used in antibiotics
Disadvantages:
 Causes diseases like tuberculosis, pneumonia, cholera, and typhoid fever.
 Causes food poisoning and spoilage, milk to go sour, and tooth decay.

Viruses
Advantage:
 Can make vaccines out of them.
Disadvantage:
 Can cause diseases to be considered as an epidemic or pandemic.