JUMARIE E.

CORESES BSChE-V

iochemical engineering is a branch of chemical engineering or biological engineering that mainly deals with the design of unit processes that involve biological organisms or molecules. Its applications are used in the food, feed, pharmaceutical, chemical, biotechnology, and water treatment industries. This subject discusses: enzymes enzyme kinetics immobilised enzymes technology industrial applications of enzymes - biotechnology fermentation and industrial microorganisms design of a fermentor optimisation of fermentation processes and biosensors in bioprocess monitoring and control.

The application of engineering principles to conceive, design, develop, operate, or use processes and products based on biological and biochemical phenomena. Biochemical engineering, a subset of chemical engineering, impacts a broad range of industries, including health care, agriculture, food, enzymes, chemicals, waste treatment, and energy.

Biochemical Industries:
Food Industries Phamaceutical Industries Distillery and Waste Treatment Products of microbial activity

BioChemical Engineering

Application of biological sciences in industial processes is known as bioprocessing. Nowadays, most biological and pharmaceutical products arec produced in well-defined industrial processses. For instance, bacteria are able to produce most amino acids that can be used in food and medicine. Microbial production of amino acids can be used to produce L-isomers; chemical production results in both D- and L-isomers. Lysine and glutamic acid are produced by Corynebaterium glutamicum. Another food addtive is citric acidwhich is produced by Aspergillus niger. The growth of cells on a lagre scale is called industrial fermentation. Industrial fermentation is normally performed in a bioreactor, which controls aeration, pH and temperature.( G. Najafpour, 2007)

BioChemical Engineering

Pharmaceutical Industry the branch of the chemical industry that manufactures drugs. The
industry comprises enterprises that produce synthetic and plant-derived (phytochemical) preparations, antibiotics, vitamins, blood substitutes and hormone preparations derived from animal organs, and drugs in various dosages (including injection solutions in ampuls, tablets, lozenges, capsules, pills, and suppositories), as well as ointments, emulsions, aerosols, and plasters.

Antibiotics, Production of Penicillin The mold isolated by Alexander Fleming in early 1940s was Penicillium notatum, who noted that this species killed his culture of Staphylococcus aureus. The manufacture of penicillin is now prepared by an improved penicillin-producing mould species, Penicillium chrysogenum.

BioChemical Engineering

Innovation of submerged culture techniques improved the farming of the mould in large scale operation by means of sterilized air supply.  Streptomycin created by Actinomycetes  Molasses, corn steep liquor, waste product from sugar industry, and wet milling corn are used for the manufacture of penicillin.  Penicillium chrysogenum can generate 1000 times more penicillin than Flemings original culture.  The major steps in the commercial production of penicillin: Preparation of inoculums. Preparation and sterilization of the medium. Inoculation of the medium in the fermenter. Forced aeration with sterile air during fermentation. Removal of mould mycelium after fermentation. Extraction and purification of the penicillin.

Distillery
Ethanol is an important chemical which is used as raw material for manufacturing chemicals, fuel (biofuel), beverages, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. The feedstock of ethanol normally comes from starch (from wheat, barley, maize, potato, cassava, sweet potato, etc.) and molasses or syrups originating from sugar beets or sugar cane. The fermentation product stream is processed with successive enhancement by distillation/rectification and dehydration. Production of Ethanol by Fermentation Carbohydrates obtainned from grains, potatoes or molasses are fermented by yeast to produce ethanol in the production of beer, alcohols and distilled spirits. Fermentation of sugar using Saccharomyces cerevisiae produces ethanol under anareobi conditions. The batch fermentation system is affected by hihgh substrate and high inhibition. Glucose concentration plays the major role in increasing the concentration of ethanol and cell growth rate in the fermentation broth. Cell density, ethanol concentration and glucose concentration are measured. Industrial grade sugars and molasses are used for the production of bioethanol. .( G. Najafpour, 2007)

Waste Treatment
Natural decomposition of organic and inorganic materials has occurred for million of years. Biological management of waste ahs been practiced for thousands of years. Most microorganisms in use are extracted from soil and water bodies and more recently technically developed for specific applications, and uses organic and toxic materials as source of energy and carbon. While in the future, biological treatment will be based on microorganisms. The following are examples of recent research and applications of waste and toxics, using biotechnology control:  Some 20 different bacteria are said to be capable of breaking down polychlorinated biphenyls into water and carbon dioxide. One of these organisms from the genus Alcalie genes is photoactivated by sunlight. (N. Chereminioff, Ph.D)

BioChemical Engineering

Factors that influence microbial activity

A knowledge of the factors that favor or inhibit the growth of the microorganisms is important in understanding the principles of food spoilage and preservation. Six major factors: 1. Moisture 2. Oxygen 3. Temperature 4. Acidity, pH 5. Nutrients 6. Growth inhibitors Effect of moisture on microbial growth  Water is essential for the growth of all living organisms. Has many important functions in the growth of microoranisms and in enzyme activity.  Preserving techniques such as dehydration, concentration, freezing are based on making water unavailable for the microorganisms.  Mainly 3 methods for making water unavailable: 1. Increasing the solute concentration; removing water, adding of solutes (salt, sugar) 2. Addition of hydrophilic (water-binding) colloids (gels, pectins, gums) 3. Bringing water to a solid phase (freezing) Effect of oxygen on microbial growth  Essential element for the metabolic activity  Free atmospheric oxygen in air. Some organisms can utilize oxygen in C-H-O  Microorganisms are classified according to their oxygen requirements: aerobic : grow in the presence of atm. oxygen anaerobic : grow in the absence of atm. oxygen facultatively anaerobic : grow either in absence or presence of oxygen microaerophilic : grow in the presence of limited oxygen  In the presence of atmospheric oxygenn microbial activity leads to a slow oxidation of foods: Carbohydrates p CO2 and H2O Amino acids p NH3 , CO2 and H2O Fats p free fatty acids, CO2 and H2O  In the presence of limited oxygen oxidation results in intermediary products; alcohol, lactic acid, acetic acid, formic acid. C6H12O6 + 6O2 p 6CO2 + 6H2O + 674 calories C6H12O6 p 2C2H5OH + 22 calories Effect of temperature on microbial growth  Optimum, minimum and maximum temperatures for microbial growth. min. T. : refrigeration, freezing max. T. : heat processing  Microorganisms are classified w.r.t. their temperature requirements.  Dependence of growth of microorganisms on temperature is largely related to activation and inactivation of enzyme systems in microorganisms.

BioChemical Engineering

 Three different effects of temperature contribute to the death of microbial cells: 1. Denaturation of proteins (enzymes) by heat 2. Intoxication due to accelerated metabolic reactions 3. Changes in essential lipids. Melting points of the fats found in the organisms and temperature ranges of death are related Effect of acidity on microbial growth  Microorgisms affected by pH of foods, since they do not have any mechanism to adjust their internal pH.  Microorganisms have different minimal, maximal and optimal pH-levels for growth: optimum maximum minimum Bacteria 6.5-7.5 9.0 4.5 Molds 4.0-6.8 8.0-11.0 1.5-3.5 Yeasts 4.5-6.5 8.0-8.5 1.5-3.5  Acid foods : pH 4.5 . Pathogenic micro-organisms cannot survive.  Pasteurization (heat treatment below boiling temperature) is sufficient for acid foods.  For pH " 4.5, sterilization (severe heat treatment above boiling temperatures) is needed to destroy pathogenic microorganisms and their toxins pH ranges for major foods Fruits : 3.0 4.5 Vegetables : 4.6 6.6 Meat : 5.5 6.8 Milk : 6.0 6.8  Pickling : Production of acids in foods by fermentation.  Acetic-, citric-, lactic-, propionic-, benzoic-, and sorbic acids added to foods for preservation (acidulants)  pH also affects resistance of microorganisms to destruction during heating, drying and other processes  Effect of nutrients on microbial growth  Microorganisms depend on nutrients for both energy and growth.  Different microorganisms possess different enzyme systems which are specific in breakdown of certain nutrient compounds.  Microbial growth can be enhanced by enriching the growth medium with specific nutrients and it can be retarded using growth inhibitors.  Creating specific nutrient media is a very useful tool both in laboratory work and in industry for isolation and growth of certain microorganisms. Growth inhibitors  Many chemical compounds selectively inhibit microbial activity  These compounds act either by inactivating a necessary enzyme needed for growth, by denaturing the protein portion of a cell or by causing physical damage to certain parts of the cell like breaking the cell wall.  A microrganism growing in food may produce substances inhibitory to other organisms or to destroy compounds inhibitory to its growth. Basis for production of antibiotics. Example: Pencillin is produced by moulds (aspergillus) and retards growth of bacteria.
BioChemical Engineering