Industrial Application of Microbes

Microbes have been used to produce products for thousands of years. Even in ancient times,
vinegar was made by filtering alcohol through wood shavings, allowing microbes growing on the
surfaces of the wood pieces to convert alcohol to vinegar. Likewise, the production of wine and
beer uses another microbe yeast to convert sugars to alcohol. Even though people did not
know for a long time that microbes were behind these transformations, it did not stop them from
making and selling these products.
Both of these are early examples of biotechnology the use of microbes for economic or
industrial purposes. his field advanced considerably with the many developments in
microbiology, such as the invention of microscope. !nce scientists learned about the genetics of
microbes, and how their cells produce proteins, microbes could also be altered to function in
many new, and useful, ways. his sparked the application of biotechnology to many industries,
such as agriculture, energy and medicine.
Genetic Engineering of Microbes
"enetic information in organisms is stored in their #$%. his molecule holds instructions for
how the organism looks and functions. #$% is broken into sections called genes, each of which
contains the template for a single protein molecule. &roteins serve as building blocks for the cell,
and also carry out other activities. By studying microbes, scientists learned how to cut pieces out
of a #$% molecule, and move them to another part. his changes how the cell looks or acts.
'cientists can also take genes from one organism and insert them into the #$% of another. his
gives the organism entirely new abilities.
his type of genetic engineering the altering of an organism(s genetic information has
enabled scientists to use microbes as tiny living factories. !ne example of this is the production
of insulin. )n humans, the pancreas creates a protein called insulin that regulates glucose sugar
levels in the blood. &eople with one type of diabetes cannot produce insulin, so they in*ect it
into their blood throughout the day. o produce cheaper insulin, scientists inserted the human
gene for insulin into the #$% of a common intestinal bacterium. his change enabled the
bacterium to produce a new product human insulin.
Food and Agriculture & Microbes
%s with the production of vinegar, microbes are used widely in the agricultural and food
industries. Bacteria are used in the production of many food products, such as yogurt, many
types of cheese and sauerkraut. +armers also use a bacterium that produces a natural fertili,er.
his type of bacterium is normally associated with bean plants, growing in nodules on the roots
in a symbiotic mutually beneficial relationship. he bacterium converts nitrogen gas in the
air to a form that plants can use like fertili,er. By adding bacteria to the soil, farmers can
increase the productivity of the plants.
"enetic engineering can also be used to produce plants with new abilities, such as enhanced
resistance to pesticides, or increased nutritional content. )n this case, microbes are used to insert
new genes into the #$% of the plants. his results in genetically modified "M foods.
-umans have long modified the genetics of agricultural plants and animals by breeding them to
enhance specific traits. "enetical engineering, however, allows scientists to add genes that exist
in totally unrelated organisms.
Energy & Microbes
#uring vinegar production with wood chips, bacteria grow on the surface of the wood, forming
what is called a biofilm. Bacteria attached to a surface like this can produce many compounds, as
well as block the flow of a fluid. he latter behavior has been used to increase the amount of oil
extracted from an oil field. Bacteria growing in the wells block areas that are more open. .hen
water is then pumped into the ground, the biofilms drive the water into other areas that still
contain oil. his then forces the oil to the surface.
Microbes can also be used to create fuels directly. /ertain bacteria ferment glycerol to form
ethanol, a biofuel that can be used in automobiles. he glycerol is a byproduct of biodiesel
production, but it is more valuable if converted to fuel. .ith genetic engineering, microbes can
also be altered to produce fuels that they don(t usually make. !ne company has modified the
#$% of yeast to create biofuel from sugarcane feedstock. he challenge to all of these methods
is creating a process that produces fuels more easily and cheaply than conventional
methods.
Crime and Security & Microbes
/ertain types of bacteria thrive in high temperatures. hese extremophiles organisms that
prefer extreme conditions have cell components designed to withstand heat. !ne of these is a
bacterium, hermus a0uaticus, that lives in hot springs and near thermal vents. )t contains an
en,yme that is involved in the copying of #$% inside the cell. his type of en,yme occurs in
other organisms, but the one from . a0uaticus can withstand higher temperatures. 'cientists use
this en,yme to multiply very small amounts of #$%, such as from samples found at crime
scenes.
!ther techni0ues are used to identify disease1causing microbes released by terrorists. he
microbes can be identified from their #$%. hese tests are extremely sensitive, and can find the
#$% e0uivalent of a drop of water in a swimming pool. he 2.'. &ostal used microbe1detection
techni0ues after letters contaminated with a dangerous microbe anthrax were sent through
the mail. he tests identified the microbe as coming from the same source, meaning that a single
person sent all of the letters.
Medical Application of Microbes
)n addition to vaccines and antibiotics, microbes have been essential for many important
contributions to medicine. Like diabetes, many diseases can be treated with compounds derived
from microbes3 cystic fibrosis, cancer, growth hormone deficiency and hepatitis B. )n addition,
genetic methods that were first developed in microbes now allow scientists to study genetic
diseases in humans. his has resulted in the ability to test fetuses for genetic diseases.
here have also been research studies of gene therapy in humans. his techni0ue uses a microbe
often a virus to insert new genes into cells. )n theory, this could correct a condition caused
by a genetic disease. Microbial genetics has also led to the ability to determine the se0uence of
#$% more rapidly, like reading a book. .ith this information, scientists can look for genes in
individuals that cause or contribute to diseases.