Microorganisms are important to us for many reasons, but one of the principal ones is that
they produce things of value to us. These may be very large materials such as proteins, nu-A.L. Demain / Biotechnology Advances 18 (2000) 499–514 501
cleic acids, carbohydrate polymers, or even cells, or they can be smaller molecules which we
usually separate into metabolites essential for vegetative growth and those inessential (i.e.
primary and secondary metabolites, respectively). The power of the microbial culture in the
competitive world of commercial synthesis can be appreciated by the fact that even simple
molecules (i.e. L-glutamic acid and L-lysine), are made by fermentation rather than by chemical
synthesis. Although a few products have been temporarily lost to chemical synthesis
(e.g. solvents such as acetone and butanol), it is obvious that most natural products are made
by fermentation technology. Despite the efficiency of the chemical route to riboflavin, much
of the production of this compound is carried out by fermentation; chemical processes to vitamin C and steroids still employ microbial bioconversion steps. Most natural products are so
complex and contain so many centers of asymmetry that they probably will never be made
commercially by chemical synthesis.
Microorganisms are important to us for many reasons, but one of the principal ones is thatthey produce things of value to us. These may be very large materials such as proteins, nu-A.L. Demain / Biotechnology Advances 18 (2000) 499–514 501cleic acids, carbohydrate polymers, or even cells, or they can be smaller molecules which weusually separate into metabolites essential for vegetative growth and those inessential (i.e.primary and secondary metabolites, respectively). The power of the microbial culture in thecompetitive world of commercial synthesis can be appreciated by the fact that even simplemolecules (i.e. L-glutamic acid and L-lysine), are made by fermentation rather than by chemicalsynthesis. Although a few products have been temporarily lost to chemical synthesis(e.g. solvents such as acetone and butanol), it is obvious that most natural products are madeby fermentation technology. Despite the efficiency of the chemical route to riboflavin, muchof the production of this compound is carried out by fermentation; chemical processes to vitamin C and steroids still employ microbial bioconversion steps. Most natural products are socomplex and contain so many centers of asymmetry that they probably will never be madecommercially by chemical synthesis.
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