THE STUDY OF FERMENTATION TECHNOLOGY

Fermentation Technology could be defined simply as the study of the fermentation process, techniques and its application. Fermentation should not be seen merely as a process that is entirely focussed on the happenings occurring in the fermentor alone! There are many activities that occur upstream leading to the reactions that occur within the bioreactor or fermentor, despite the fermentor is regarded as the heart of the fermentation process.

Upstream activities cover such activities such as:
1 Isolation and screening of microorganisms
2 Physiological studies on the microorganisms for optimize groth and maximum products formation
3 Nutritional and media studies
4 Amplification of cultures
5 Scaling up studies

Mid stream activities cover the control and optimimization of activities that occur within the central fermentor itself
1 Monitoring the various physical and biochemical parameters for optimum fermentation

Downstream activities cover activities immediately after the fermentation process in the fermentor is completed and starts with the broth withdrawal and the extraction, purification and concentration of the products.
During downstream activities it involves more bioprocessing and chemical engineering unit processes.


Fermentation technology is the whole field of study which involves studying, controlling and optimization of the fermentation process right up from upstream activities, mid stream and downstream or post fermentation activities.

The study of fermentation technology requires essential inputs from various disciplines such as biochemistry, microbiology,genetics, chemical and bioprocess engineering and even a scatter of mathematics and physics!