Microbial fermentation industry and expertise

What is meant by the term?

Microbial fermentation has many applications, but in the most general sense, it involves the conversion of organic substances in a substrate or nutrient mixture by the metabolic activity of a microorganism. Many different genera and species of microorganisms may be used, including bacteria, yeasts and molds, and the process may occur in an aerobic or anaerobic environment. In industrial applications, the desired product from a microbial fermentation may be the biomass itself (e.g. Quorn from Fusarium venenatum) or it may be a metabolite (e.g. vinegar from lactic acid bacteria). Numerous other everyday items are made using microbial fermentations to support different industries such as nutritional supplements, cosmetics, personal care items and pharmaceuticals. The scale of microbial fermentation set ups vary considerably, but generally, in the case of a nutrient mixture conversion, the process takes place in a stirred tank bioreactor. Meanwhile, specially designed reactors are used for fermentations that can convert a solid substrate.

What education and experience would you recommend to a client who was looking to hire a microbial fermentation expert?

An expert in microbial fermentation should have sound knowledge of microbiology, biochemistry, fermenter design and operation, bioprocessing and analytical chemistry.

How could such an expert theoretically help companies?

From a process design and technological standpoint, there is considerable know how with regards to microbial fermentation, from the bench all the way to the industrial scale. An expert in microbial fermentation can assist in many areas including initial feasibility analyses, selecting a microorganism and developing, troubleshooting and optimizing a process.