Making Use of Microbes

Making use of Microbes

What useful products do we make using microbes?

beer

wine

penicillinenzymes

bread

biofuel

biogas

vinegar

drugs

insulin

beer

yoghurt

beer

beer

beer

Some of these use ancient techniques, while others use modern biotechnology. You need to know how to make beer and yoghurt.

cheese

quorn

Beer is made in two stages.1. Starch in barley seeds is converted to maltose2. Maltose is converted to ethanol

starch maltose ethanol + carbon dioxide

Use p231 to write notes on each stage, explaining what makes it happen and where it happens. Use technical terms.

Brewing Beer

Hawkshead Brewery tour (9min)

American Brewery tour (4½min)

1 2

1. Why is the water boiled before adding glucose and yeast?

2. Why is a thin layer of oil or paraffin added to the surface of the mixture?

3. Explain how you would set up a control experiment. What would this show?

4. If anaerobic respiration (fermentation) in yeast was taking place what would you be able to observe?

Demonstrating Fermentation

Yoghurt is made from milk. Use p233 to answer these questions.1. Name the acid in yoghurt.2. How does this make yoghurt solid?3. What else does the acid do in yoghurt?4. How is this acid made (write the equation)?5. Name the microbe that makes this reaction

happen.6. What else is done to make commercial yoghurt?

Making Yoghurt

Wine, beer, yoghurt and cheese production (BBC

class clip)

Industrial Fermenters

Industrial fermenters, like those used to brew beer, are also used in industry to manufacture products like:

• antibiotics (e.g. penicillin)• drugs (e.g. asprin)• hormones (e.g. insulin)• enzymes (e.g. for washing

powders).

These vessels are still called fermenters even if they don’t carry out anaerobic respiration (fermentation).

Genentech tour

Industrial FermentersExplain the purpose of each of these parts (use p230 for help):

1. culture

2. nutrients

3. motor and stirrer

4. air

5. sparger

6. water jacket

7. exhaust gas vent

8. temperature and pH probes

9. acid/alkali inlet

10.steam inlet

Antibiotic production in fermenters

Computer controlled bioreactor

Antibiotic production in fermenters

Computer control room in a brewery

Biofuel factory