General Microbiology with Industrial Applications (Micr 201)
Course Outline
Intended Learning Outcome
1. To become oriented with the scope of
microbiology.
2. To appreciate how the microbial world affects our
world in such areas as agriculture, industry,
research and the environment.
3. To discuss the origins of microbiology as well as
the fermentation technology, and how microbes
contribute substantially to the quality of our lives.
1. To identify the different groups of microorganisms
and their industrial importance.
2. To describe the broad variety of industrially
important microbes and survey the processes by
which they synthesize commercial materials.
1. To recognize the roles of enzymes and energy in
microbial metabolism.
2. To describe how carbohydrate molecules are
metabolized through a series of pathways to
supply the energy needed for microbial growth.
1. To understand the importance of nutrition for the Microbial Nutrition : Substrates for Industrial Fermentation
growth of microbes, as well as the role of
polymerization and dehydration synthesis in the
formation of the major macromolecules of the
cell.
2. To recognize that polysaccharides are not only an
important source of sugar, but also a significant
component of the cell wall.
Content Outline
Microbial World: Surprising and Stunning
 What is Industrial Microbiology, Fermentation and Biotechnology?
 History of Fermentation Technology/ Microbiology
 The Applications of Biotechnology
 Microorganisms as products themselves
(microbial biomass)
 Products produced by microorganism (microbial metabolites)
 Utilization of microorganisms to catalyze specific chemical reactions
(biotransformation/ bioconversion)
Overview of the Different Groups of Microorganisms With Industrial
Importance
 Classification of Microorganisms
 The Prokaryotes : Domains Bacteria and Archae
 The Eukaryotes : Fungi, Algae and Protozoa
 Bacteria (The First Microbes)
 Archaebacteria
 Yeasts (Unicellular Fungi)
 Molds (Multicellular Fungi)
 Mushrooms (Basidiomycetes)
Microbial Metabolism
 Energy Classes of Microorganisms
Phototrophs
Chemoautotrophs
Chemotrophs
Chemolithotrophs
Autotrophs
Auxotroph
 Review of Metabolic Pathways of Energy Production
Carbohydrate Metabolism
Anaerobic Metabolism
Chemolithotrophy
 Carbon Source
 Nitrogen Source
 Other Macro/Micronutrients and Growth Factors
Microbial Growth
 Overview of Cell and Population Growth
1. To understand the dynamics of a growth curve for
a microbial population and specify some of the
influences affecting the shape of the curve.
2. To recall some factors such as variations in
water, temperature, and oxygen level that
encourage or limit the growth of microbes.
1. To understand that metabolism is regulated in
such a way that cell components are maintained
at the proper concentrations.
2. To identify the localization of enzymes and
metabolites in separate compartments of a cell
that helps regulate and coordinate metabolic
activity.
1. To understand the fermentation process and how Methods of Fermentation Processes
it is used in the production of numerous foods.  Shake-flask Fermentation
2. To recognize that microbes contribute
substantially to our way of life, and appreciate  Fed-batch Fermentation
their many positive contributions.
1. To summarize the industrial and microbial
processes used to produce the many foods we
enjoy.
2. To appreciate the chemistry, significance and
application of the fermentation process used to
produce wines and other food products.
1. To understand how the processes of
biotechnology have yielded numerous valuable
pharmaceutical products.
2. To appreciate the role of biotechnology in the
production of new types of foods for our
consumption.
3. To appreciate the molecular basis of such
biotechnological innovations as gene therapy and
DNA vaccines.
4. To compare the new and traditional directions in
industrial microbiology and gain an appreciation
of future trends.
 Growth Cycle of Bacterial Cell and Other Microbial Populations
 Physiochemical Factors Influencing Growth
 Growth Kinetics
 Measurement of Microbial Growth
 Direct Methods
 Indirect Methods
Regulation of Gene Expression: Implications for Coordination of
Microbial Metabolism
 Feedback Inhibition on Enzyme Activity
 Induction
 Positive Control
 Negative Control
 Nutrition/Catabolite Repression
 Attenuation
 Batch Fermentation
 Continuous Fermentation
 Fermenter Systems and Bioreactor Designs
Parameters Affecting Fermentation Processes
 Aeration and Agitation
 Culture Media and Air Sterilization
 Gas Exchange and Mass Transfer
 Scale-up of Fermentation
 Instrumentations in Bioprocessing
 Post Fermentation Processing and Product Recovery
 Down-stream Processing
 Harvesting
 Purification
Biotechnology and Industry: Microbes At Work
 Production of Proteins in Bacteria and Yeasts
 Enzyme Technology
 Kinetics of Enzymatic Reactions
 Immobilized Enzymes and Kinetics
 Recombinant DNA Technology