TALKING TO THE MICROBES

The microorganisms in the fermentors or bioreactors are 'talking' to us. But most of us cannot appreciate how they are talking to us! By listening carefully to them, they are telling us whether they are dying, being poisoned, suffering from malnutrition or they are sick and need us to help them.

We as the fermentation technologists must try to understand them by understanding how they talk to us or reading their signals on how they are..The knowledge will help us guide the fermentation process to a successful completion


The most important way the microorganisms are communicating with us is by measuring and analyzing their respirometric data. Respirometry is a measure of their 'breathing'.

Aerobic microorganisms use oxygen in the process of breathing and releasing carbon dioxide as their metabolic products. If the microorganisms are active they will show active respiration by high rates of oxygen utilization

If they are 'sick' or old, they will not respire that actively. If the number of microorganisms are too little so will be the rate of respiration. If the microorganisms are exposed to new or difficult substrate the rate of biodegradation will reflected in their respirometric data

The ability to analyze their respiration must be supported by other data or parameters before reaching the right conclusion

Just like a good physician, a simple stethoscope examination will yield a lot of data regarding the state of health of the patient. To a poor physician the stethoscope will not yield much....