Industrial microbiology or microbial biotechnology is the application of scientific principles to the processing of materials by microorganisms (such as bacteria, fungi, algae, protozoa and viruses) or plant and animal cells to create useful products or processes. The microorganisms utilized may be natural isolates, laboratory selected mutants or microbes that have been genetically engineered using recombinant DNA methods. The terms “industrial microbiology” and “biotechnology” are often one and the same.
Areas of industrial microbiology include quality assurance for the food, pharmaceutical, and chemical industries. Industrial microbiologists may also be responsible for air and plant contamination, health of animals used in testing products, and discovery of new organisms and pathways. For instance, most antibiotics come from microbial fermentations involving a group of organisms called actinomycetes. Other organisms such as yeasts are used in baking, in the production of alcohol for beverages, and in fuel production (gasohol). Additional groups of microorganisms form products that range from organic acids to enzymes used to create various sugars, amino acids, and detergents. For example, the sweetener aspartame is derived from amino acids produced by microorganisms.
Industrial microbiologists may also deal with products associated with the food and dairy industries, with the prevention or deterioration of processed or manufactured goods, and with waste disposal systems. For more in-depth coverage of topics in industrial microbiology, you may want to exam¬ine the Society for Industrial