PHAGE INFECTION OF FERMENTATION PROCESSES

Phages are basically viruses. Bacteria and virus are one of the most common and feared cause of fermentation contamination. Just like influenza which affect us humans, it’s caused by virus. The only problem is that when fermentors are affected by virus it does not exhibit the common symptoms of humans getting influenza. Fermentors do not have ‘ runny nose’ or sneeze! Hehe. Instead it will target the fermentative microorganisms and will affect the production of the fermentation products.
Virus being virus are sometimes not considered as living things. They appear with crystalline morphology but containing protein and nucleic acids. The trouble with virus or phages they rely on living cells such as bacteria to grow. Once infecting bacteria they will take over the metabolism of the host bacteria and will reproduce much more virus particles that will infect further. To make things worst these virus or phages attack only specific cells or strains. So if the phages targeted the fermentative microorganisms that are the end!
IMPACT OF PHAGES ON FERMENTATION INDUSTRIES
In the fermentation industries such occurrences could be a financial disaster as all those fermentation activities have to cease!
The problem with industrial fermentation using bacteria is that in general they involved high volume cultures of the bacteria or considered as high density cell fermentation. The release of phages into the fermentor could create massive infection.
According to Sinderen (2007) in his situation could result in massive product loss, raw material spoilage, non productive operation costs and plant shutdown for decontamination purposes
STEPS IN OVERCOMING PHAGE INFECTION OF FERMENTATION PROCESS
It is possible to deactivate or reduce the chances of phages contamination. But with time there is always the risk and possibility of phage infection awaiting to occur at the slightest opportunity.
Broadly the few steps commonly taken in the control of phage infection in the fermentation industries include:
1 Maintenance of sterility or strong aseptic conditions and barriers at the level of the fermentor or its operation

2 Use of alternative cultures as phages are very strain specific or the use of mutants that are phage resistant
3 Use of physical and chemical agents that are phage inhibitors
4 Use of immobilized cells thus restricting the infection by phages






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