MIC 101: L4

Scope of Microbiology in Human Welfare

Food and Beverages

• Bread (Saccharomyces cerevisae)

• Cheese (Lactobacillus, Propionobacterium, Penicillium)

• Yogurt (Streptococcus bulgaricus, Lactobacillus thermophilus)

• Sausage (Pediococcus)

• Coffee (Erwinia, Saccharomyces)

• Soy sauce (Aspergillus, Streptomyces, Lactobacillus)

• Alcoholic beverage (Saccharomyces)

• Vinegar (Acetobacter, Gluconobacter)

• Citric Acid (Acetobacter, Clostridium)

• Mushroom (Agaricus)

Animal Feed

• Single cell protein (Saccharomycesgrown on agricultural waste)

• Spirulina grown in sea water

Agriculture

• Microbes maintain soil fertility by decomposing the dead body of animals, plants and releasing amines, sugars, vitamins, minerals and fatty acids and small molecules.

• Microbes can produce organic Nitrogen compounds from elementary Nitrogen. Free organisms (Azotobacter, Beijerinkia, Cyanobacteria, Clostridium) and symbiotic microbes Rhizobium and Bradyrhizobium do it.

Agriculture

• The crystals produced by Bacillus thuringiensiscan kill insect larvae.

• Controlled production of compost from garbage, microbes and earthworm is the best fertilizer

Industry

• Commodity ethanol (3.8 billion litres in US) by Candida, Saccharomyces, Kluyveromyces

• Protease, Amylase, esterase from Bacillus for detergent and textile

• DNA polymerase in biological research

• Thiobacillus in metal processing from mines

• Methanococcus for production of methane in fuel industry

Health and SanitationWastewater/ SewageScreen out solid partsSediment insoluble partsOxidation of organic waste with bacteria, algae and protozoaRepeat oxidation and biological degradation for cleaner waterDisinfection by filtration or chlorinationCheck the dissolved oxygen content, suspended solid, biological oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demandRelease into natural water

Pollution Control

• Chlorinated pesticides were degraded by Pseudomonas and Alkaligenes in agricultural fields

• Petroleum spill in a bay in Canada was cleaned by mixed population of microbes

Medicine and Therapy

• Production of insulin from engineered E coli

• Production of antibiotics

• Preparation of vaccine (vaccincia virus for pox vaccine)

• Production of diagnostic antibodies in engineered Pichia pastoris

• In future viruses can be used for gene therapy