Difference between revisions of "Industrial fermentation"

Depending on the type of microorganisms and its genetic modifications, a various range of feedstocks can be used. The most commonly used feedstocks are listed.

Starch is present in [[food waste]] such as potatoes, corn, wheat or cassava. Starch can directly be utilized by amylase-producing microorganisms, particularly filamentous fungi. However, to allow its use in a wider range of fermentations, starch is usually converted into glucose or dextrins by enzymatic hydrolysis.

Sugar-rich waste streams can be derived from food industry waste, f.e. from the candy industry.

Depending on the type of feedstock and its purity, specific pre-treatment technologies are required to provide fermentable substrates to the microorganisms. Generally, this first involves a [[Sizing|size reduction]] step, after which the milled biomass can be processed to separate the desired substrate by f.e. centrifugation, filtration, evaporation or crystallization.  

In addition, it should be taken into account that some of the mentioned feedstocks only provide the carbon source (which compose about 50% of the weight of most microorganisms), in that case also other nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphate and potassium need to be added.