INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION OF ENZYMES: PART 2 PRODUCING MICROBIAL ENZYMES USING FERMENTATION TECHNOLOGY

Fermentation technology has been used extensively in the production of microbial enzymes. There are three main objectives in the production of enzymes using microbes:
1 The enzymes must be produced in high volume
2 The enzymes must be pure
3 The enzymes must be stable especially with respect to its structure and functions

The key element in the production of enzymes using fermentation technology is:
1 The presence of microorganisms which have the capability of producing the desired enzymes
2 The choice of suitable bioreactors or fermentors that can be used to support the cultivation of the microorganisms that produce the enzymes
3 The optimum conditions, control and monitoring of the fermentation conditions for maximum enzyme production
In all the above the nature of the enzymes being produced are often the restricting factors in the production of the enzymes. The main problems are enzymes are basically large complex protein molecules which are not stable and easily denatured by certain extreme conditions such as temperature, salt, ph and other factors.
The production of the enzymes by the microbes are basically a physiological or metabolic function of the microbial cells and factors such as feedbacks and catabolite repression or metabolic inhibition will affect the process
THE PRODUCTION METHOD
The production method of these enzymes is governed primarily by location of the enzymes in the cell and whether the enzymes are inductive or constitutive by nature. Most industries that produce large volumes of enzymes are often involved in inductive enzymes. In such situations there is no need to break the cells or organelles to release the enzymes. As constitutive enzymes are sort of “part of the cell” the amount of enzymes are directly related to the amount of cells produced. In such situations it shows primary metabolites behavior and the growth curve is used to determine the right time to harvest the cells and the constitutive enzymes
In the case of inductive enzymes the process of producing enzymes is simpler. Enzymes that are produced are easily released off the cell into the fermentation media. However, in this method the presents of the substrate or inducer in the media in important to trigger the enzymes production.







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