Help please with my homework for science?

Question

I'm not being lazy or anything because I've searched the net and I can't find much. I need to know how microorganisms are used in industry (baking, brewing, pharmaceutical). I've found a little information but I need to write a report about it and I haven't got nearly enough to help me. Can you help me out please?

I've looked on google, ask, wikipeadia etc and they haven't given me enough info.

Thanks to everyone. I've got enough info now.

Answer 1

You said you searched but couldn't find anything... That's funny because i just did a search and thousands of pages came up. Try be a bit more thorough. however here is something to get you started . http://www.lsbu.ac.uk/biology/enztech/proteases.html

Answer 2

OK the key word you want to look up first is yeast. It is the micro organism that was used for making bread rise and brewing beer. Look up fermentation and batch fermentation as well. (The name of the process for large scale growth of micro organisms).

The uses in the pharmacetical industry are many and varied, but generally break down into two different types of use, on a small scale they are used for different research purposes from testing potential antibiotics to looking at different complex cellular reactions. The other use is large scale, this is generally for the production of something that the micro organism can make. One example (although not pharmaceutical) is the mycoprotein used to make Quorn for vegetarians.

Answer 3

Try Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microorganisms

Answer 4

As a winemaker microorganisms are vital in terms of primary yeast fermentation of the grape juice and then bacterial malolactic fermentation (convertion of malic acid to lactic acid). It is very important to control both these processes whilst also preventing growth of any other microorganisms which may result in spoilage of the finished product (a prime example being brettanomyces, a yeast that inhabits barrels). In terms of how they're used the norm is to buy in freeze dried packets of the yeast/bacteria you want from companies such as enoferm, rehydrate in 35 degree water for 20 minutes, slowly equilibrate to the temperature of the juice/wine by addition of jugfulls then innoculate. The addition of various nutrients is customary, ammounts depend on levels of deficiencies in order to complete fermentation and prevent any 'stress' on the yeast/bacteria.

Answer 5

In the baking and brewing industries the main micro-organism being used is yeast - this is what makes bread rise and beer and wine ferment (Belgian beer also uses bacteria to give it its distincive taste).
In pharmaceuticals they use a number of micro-organisms but often E coli (a type of bacteria). This is used to produce proteins (as it is easy to get it to produce foreign proteins), so protein based drugs can be made in E. coli and then purified (insulin used to be made this way but it is now synthetic). Other industries also use micro-organisms, for example biological washing powders contain enzymes that are produced in bacteria and then purified.
I hope that gives you enough to get started with

Answer 6

Yeast catalyses the fermentation of sugar reaction this converts glucose in to ethanol (normal drinkable alcohol) and carbon dioxide. In beer the carbon dioxide gas floats away leaving the alcohol in whatever it is you've brewed, when baking the alcohol quickly evaporates but the slow release of carbon dioxide makes the bread rise. Pharmaceuticals must have hundreds of uses, I would recomend only using one or two examples.

Answer 7

Yeast, bacteria, sour dough bread. Microorganisms.

Answer 8

These microorganisms are normally known as YEAST. Used in the food production for centuries.

GOOGLE or YAHOO = YEAST

Answer 9

Search Wiki for Vinegar, its made using vinegar bacteria. And Quorn is made using an edible micro-organism.

Answer 10

There is enough for a report on the source page below.