FERMENTATION KINETICS PART ONE: WHY DO WE NEED TO STUDY IT?

In fermentation technology, we stress in understanding the various process in fermentor and how various intrinsic and extrinsic factors influence the fermentation process. Fermentation technology being an industrial microbiology subject are geared in producing maximum amount of high economical fermentation products
But it is difficult to understand and control the fermentation process as it involves various components such as effect of substrates, products inhibition, conditions and complex microbial interactions
The fermentation process is not only complex but always In a state of flux. Process, We are therefore in a situation to always be adaptive and reactive to these changes so that through out the fermentation process we are always sustaining the conditions in a narrow window of optimal fermentation conditions.
In order to help us to do this we need to know fermentation kinetics. When we talk about fermentation kinetics we are talking about fermentation models. Kinetics and modellings are very useful to us as tools to make fermentation predictions and enhancing our experimental designs to be more focused to the specific problems such as the rate limiting steps or product inhibition
The study of fermentation kinetics help us by providing clear quantitative data for us to understand the process and improve the process accordingly. Peering into observation ports might be good advertising gimmick for fermentation technology but do not really help much in understanding the process or even to control and predict the fermentation outcome. Subjective observations will rarely help in producing optimum fermentation process and thus affect profitability studies and making decisions
Its numbers that count! Real data that can be processed and determine decisions
Thus the importance of the study of fermentation kinetics or models
The first step in the study of fermentation kinetics is to understand the various processes involved in the whole process. Such questions such as inputs and outputs, the metabolic pathways involved and type of products or side products formed. The various individual reactions involved and what factors control the metabolite levels
At the level of the fermentor we need to know the various mass transfers involved, flows and mixing characteristics
Then only after all the relevant data are obtained do we start formulating the models



Type rest of the post here.