Industrial Microbiology
- Sciences
- 400 level
- 3 credit units
- 166 pages
- 21 units
This course is designed to provide the students with basics of Industrial microbiology, Techniques in industrial microbiology, Fermentation processes; Fermenter design and operations which motivates on production of products such as pharmaceutical and medical compounds solvents, organic acids, chemical feedstocks, amino acids, and enzymes that have direct economic value.
About this course
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Study hours
- 91 hours
- Maths
- Basic
- Content
- Theoretical, practical
- Practical work
- Yes
- Assignments
- Tutor marked assessments
- Final examination
What you'll read
The real module and unit structure of BIO416, taken from the course material NOUN publishes.
- Module 1: Basics of industrial microbiology
- UNIT2: SOME ORGANISMS COMMONLY USED IN INDUSTRIAL MICROBIOLOGY
- UNIT3 TAXONOMIC GROUPING OF MICRO-ORGANISMS IMPORTANT IN INDUSTRIAL MICROBIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
- UNIT4: CHARACTERISTICS IMPORTANT IN MICROBES USED IN INDUSTRIAL MICROBIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
- UNIT5: STRAIN IMPROVEMENT
One paragraph, so you can see how it reads
BIO416 · Module 1: Basics of industrial microbiology
The course comes with a list of recommended textbooks/Journals. These textbooks/Journals are supplement to the course materials so that you can take the advantage of reading further. Therefore, it is advisable you acquire some of these textbooks and read them to broaden your scope of understanding.
What you should be able to do
- Describe microorganisms involved in industrial microbiology
- Explain methods of sourcing microorganisms of industrial importance
- Describe how microorganisms of industrial importance are preserved
- Explain different methods of strain improvement
- Describe how a laboratory fermenter can be scaled up to a commercial one
- Understand the importance of intellectual property rights
What it prepares you for
- Industrial Microbiologist
- Biotechnologist
- Fermentation Scientist
- Quality Control Analyst
- Research Scientist
- Pharmaceuticals
- Food and Beverage
- Biotechnology
- Agriculture
- Environmental Science
Where it gets hard
The units students slow down on, and what makes each one heavy.
- Module 4: Fermenter Design And Operations
Unit 4: Scale up process of the fermentation process
Scale-up process involves complex engineering principles and requires a deep understanding of fluid dynamics and mass transfer.
- Module 4: Fermenter Design And Operations
Unit 5: Intellectual Property Rights
Understanding and applying intellectual property rights in biotechnology requires knowledge of legal frameworks and ethical considerations.
A suggested way through it
13 weeks, about 112 hours in total. Yours will differ.
- Week 1Module 1: Basics Of Industrial Microbiology
Unit 1: Nature/ Microbes of industrial microbiology · 7 hours
Define industrial microbiology. Compare industrial and medical microbiology. Explain the nature of biotechnology.
- Week 2Module 1: Basics Of Industrial Microbiology
Unit 2: Some organisms commonly used in industrial microbiology · 7 hours
Describe the basic nature of cells. Differentiate between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. Explain the three domains of living things.
- Week 3Module 1: Basics Of Industrial Microbiology
Unit 3: Taxonomic grouping of micro-organisms important in industrial microbiology and biotechnology · 7 hours
Discuss the taxonomic grouping of microorganisms. Explain the advantages of microorganisms over plants and animals. Describe the characteristics of acetic acid bacteria.
- Week 4Module 1: Basics Of Industrial Microbiology
Unit 4: Characteristics important in microbes used in industrial microbiology and biotechnology · 7 hours
Explain the characteristics important in microbes used in industrial microbiology. Describe how to find microorganisms in nature. Discuss the importance of genetic stability.
- Week 5Module 1: Basics Of Industrial Microbiology
Unit 5: Strain improvement · 7 hours
Describe the different methods of strain improvement. Explain genome manipulation techniques. Discuss the relevance of molecular biology and bioinformatics.
- Week 6Module 2: Techniques In Industrial Microbiology
Unit 1: Culture techniques · 7 hours
Explain the types of media used in microbiology. Describe the ways of formulating media. Discuss the history of culture media.
- Week 7Module 2: Techniques In Industrial Microbiology
Unit 2: Isolation and Identification of Culture · 7 hours
Explain the types of culture techniques used in microbiology. Describe spread plate, streak plate, and pour plate techniques. Discuss the basic nutrient requirements of industrial media.
- Week 8Module 2: Techniques In Industrial Microbiology
Unit 3: Criteria for the choice of raw materials used in industrial media · 7 hours
Explain the criteria for choosing raw materials. Discuss the factors that influence raw material selection. Describe the importance of cost and availability.
- Week 9Module 2: Techniques In Industrial Microbiology
Unit 4: Raw materials used in compounding industrial media · 7 hours
Know some of the raw materials used in compounding industrial media. Describe corn steep liquor, pharmamedia, and distillers soluble. Discuss the use of plant waste materials.
- Week 10Module 2: Techniques In Industrial Microbiology
Unit 5: Maintenance of selected cultures · 7 hours
Explain how cultures are collected and maintained. Describe methods of strain improvements. Discuss the types of culture collections.
- Week 11Module 3: Fermentation Processes
Unit 1: Alcoholic beverages · 7 hours
Explain the process of production of alcoholic beverages. Differentiate between top and bottom fermented beers. Describe the raw materials for brewing.
Unit 2: Raw Materials for Brewing. · 7 hours
Explain the raw materials for brewing. Describe the brewing processes. Discuss the types of brewer's yeasts.
- Week 12Module 3: Fermentation Processes
Unit 3: Wine Production · 7 hours
Explain the process of wine production. Describe the processes in wine making. Discuss the classification of wines.
Unit 4: Distilled alcoholic (or spirit) beverages · 7 hours
Explain the process of spirit beverages. Describe the principles in the production of spirit beverages. Discuss the types of spirit beverages.
- Week 13Module 3: Fermentation Processes
Unit 5: Fermented Foods I: Bread Making and Milk products · 7 hours
Understand the process of bread making. Describe the processes in bread making. Discuss the role of yeasts in bread making.
Unit 6: Fermented Foods II: Some local fermented foods · 7 hours
Understand the process of production of some local fermented foods. Describe fermented foods from corn and cassava. Discuss fermented vegetables.
Preparing for the exam
- Create concept maps linking Modules 1-2 basics of industrial microbiology and techniques.
- Practice identifying key microorganisms and their applications from Units 2-3 weekly.
- Review fermenter design diagrams from Units 1-2 and their operational parameters.
- Focus on strain improvement methods from Unit 5 and their impact on product yield.
- Understand intellectual property rights from Unit 5 and their importance in industrial microbiology.
Questions students ask about this course
What is BIO416 about?
This course is designed to provide the students with basics of Industrial microbiology, Techniques in industrial microbiology, Fermentation processes; Fermenter design and operations which motivates on production of products such as pharmaceutical and medical compounds solvents, organic acids, chemical feedstocks, amino acids, and enzymes that have direct economic value.
How many units does BIO416 have?
BIO416, Industrial Microbiology, has 21 units across 4 modules, over 166 pages of course material. You can read it one unit at a time.
How many credit units is BIO416?
BIO416 carries 3 credit units, at 400 level in Sciences.
Is BIO416 hard?
BIO416 is rated intermediate level, with basic mathematical content. It is mostly theoretical and practical work, and it has a practical component.
How long does BIO416 take to study?
About 91 hours of study, spread across its 21 units.
How is BIO416 assessed?
BIO416 is assessed by assignments, tutor marked assessments and final examination.
What can I do with BIO416?
Industrial Microbiologist, Biotechnologist, Fermentation Scientist, Quality Control Analyst and Research Scientist.