Since its inception to date, biochemistry has made great strides forward, finding an increasingly broad field of application, especially when it comes to industry. To understand its importance, let us see how one of the most widely applied methods in biotechnology today can be exploited, namely, microbial fermentation.

Biochemistry, microbial fermentation for the production of erythromycin
Microbial fermentation is currently widely used for the industrial production of erythromycin, an antibiotic produced by aerobic fermentation.

The principle of operation is that in a typical batch fermentation a nutrient-rich solution is added. The microorganisms are then inoculated and nothing else is added other than oxygen and antifoam.

The conditions during fermentation vary due to the accumulation of waste products, which naturally follows the multiplication of the microorganisms.

During the process, you can also add amino acids, fatty acids, minerals, vitamins, depending on the type of bacterium you are using, in order to direct the metabolism. The mixing takes place by mechanical means. The temperature must be controlled, as well as the pH.

Most common problems
The most common problems that can be found during fermentation processes are related to contamination during the process itself. The cause could be inadequate sterilization or loss of sterilization during the process.

This is why it is essential to use only safe systems that can guarantee high performance, just as it is essential to use only laboratories that can guarantee not only the safety of the procedures, but also the quality of the results.

A laboratory that uses automated systems is certainly a laboratory that can give many guarantees, given that, for example, human error is almost zero.

Bict, a certainty
We have extensive expertise in biochemistry and can provide you with a variety of services including strain isolation and characterization, screening and optimization of growth conditions, microbiological and chemical-physical analysis, as well as numerous other value-added services for your process.