Biotechnology is the use of living organisms, or parts of them such as enzymes, to make products or carry out processes useful to humans. Microorganisms (bacteria and fungi such as yeasts and moulds) are the organisms used most often.Why microorganisms are used
• They reproduce very quickly, some bacteria dividing every 20 minutes, so a large mass of cells is made in a short time.
• They can often be grown on cheap nutrients, including waste products from other industries.
• They grow at relatively low temperatures, so less energy is needed than for many chemical processes.
• They can be grown anywhere in the world, independent of climate or season.
• There are no animal welfare issues, and fewer ethical concerns than with plants or animals.
• They are easy to genetically modify, so they can be made to produce new products such as human insulin.
• The product is often purer than one extracted from plant or animal tissue, and some products are secreted into the medium, making them easier to collect.Drawbacks
• Conditions must be kept sterile: a contaminating microorganism can ruin the product or be harmful.
• Conditions that suit the organism (temperature, pH, oxygen) must be carefully controlled.
• The product has to be separated from the organisms and the medium (downstream processing), which can be costly.
• Some people are unwilling to eat food made directly from microorganisms.The following lessons look at the main uses: food production, medicine and bioremediation.
• They reproduce very quickly, some bacteria dividing every 20 minutes, so a large mass of cells is made in a short time.
• They can often be grown on cheap nutrients, including waste products from other industries.
• They grow at relatively low temperatures, so less energy is needed than for many chemical processes.
• They can be grown anywhere in the world, independent of climate or season.
• There are no animal welfare issues, and fewer ethical concerns than with plants or animals.
• They are easy to genetically modify, so they can be made to produce new products such as human insulin.
• The product is often purer than one extracted from plant or animal tissue, and some products are secreted into the medium, making them easier to collect.Drawbacks
• Conditions must be kept sterile: a contaminating microorganism can ruin the product or be harmful.
• Conditions that suit the organism (temperature, pH, oxygen) must be carefully controlled.
• The product has to be separated from the organisms and the medium (downstream processing), which can be costly.
• Some people are unwilling to eat food made directly from microorganisms.The following lessons look at the main uses: food production, medicine and bioremediation.