MP Board · Class 12 · Biology · Microbes in Human WelfareDiscuss the production and applications of industrial products derived from microbes, focusing specifically on fermented beverages, antibiotics, and bioactive molecules like Cyclosporin A and Statins.

Introduction to Industrial Microbiology\nMicrobes, especially yeasts, fungi, and bacteria, are extensively used on an industrial scale to synthesize products valuable to human beings. Large-scale production requires specialized vessels known as fermenters, which provide optimum growth conditions such as temperature, pH, and aeration.

1. Fermented Beverages

• Production Mechanism: Microbes, principally yeasts (Saccharomyces cerevisiae, commonly called Brewer's yeast), are used for fermenting malted cereals and fruit juices to produce ethanol.
• Diversity of Drinks: Depending on the type of raw material used for fermentation and the type of processing (with or without distillation), different alcoholic drinks are obtained. Wine and beer are produced without distillation, whereas whisky, brandy, and rum are produced by distillation of the fermented broth.

2. Antibiotics

• Definition and Discovery: Antibiotics are chemical substances produced by some microbes that can kill or retard the growth of other disease-causing microbes. Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin from the mold Penicillium notatum, though its full potential as an effective antibiotic was later established by Ernst Chain and Howard Florey.
• Applications: Antibiotics have vastly improved our capacity to treat deadly bacterial diseases such as plague, whooping cough, diphtheria, and leprosy, saving millions of lives globally.

3. Bioactive Molecules\nBioactive molecules are functional molecules produced by microbes that find specific applications in human medicine:

• Cyclosporin A: Produced by the fungus Trichoderma polysporum, this molecule is used as an immunosuppressive agent in organ transplant patients to prevent organ rejection.
• Statins: Produced by the yeast Monascus purpureus, statins have been commercialized as blood-cholesterol lowering agents. They act by competitively inhibiting the enzyme responsible for the synthesis of cholesterol.
• Enzymes: Lipases (used in detergent formulations to remove oily stains), Streptokinase (produced by Streptococcus and used as a 'clot buster' for removing clots from blood vessels of patients who have undergone myocardial infarction), and Pectinases and Proteases (used for clearing bottled fruit juices).

Conclusion\nMicrobial fermentation and industrial biotechnology have revolutionized medicine and food industries, proving that these microscopic entities are monumental assets to human welfare and economic development.