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BPE 3105 Fermentation Technology Guiding Questions

A set of questions that can help students prepare for their exams

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Albert Nuwagira
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13 views3 pages

BPE 3105 Fermentation Technology Guiding Questions

A set of questions that can help students prepare for their exams

Uploaded by

Albert Nuwagira
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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BPE 3105 Fermentation Technology Guiding Questions

1) The basic function of a fermenter is to provide a controlled


environment for the growth and productivity of the microorganisms.
a) Describe six characteristics of an ideal fermenter to fulfil this
function.
b) Using an illustration, show the component parts of a fermenter and
the functions they play.
c) List five ways using which aseptic conditions are achieved and
maintained in a fermentation process.
d) Distinguish between the following fermenter configurations.
i) Airlift and fluidised bed fermenters
ii) Stirred tank and tower fermenters

2) Inoculum is a collection of microorganisms that is added to initiate or


accelerate a biological process leading to production of metabolites.
a) Describe the process of inoculum development.
b) List the criteria is followed in determining the time of inoculum
transfer
c) Microbial metabolites have found wide applications in nutrition,
healthcare and agriculture.
i) Distinguish between primary and secondary metabolites.
ii) Discuss five of these applications giving an example of each
metabolite and its applications.

3) Fermentation media on which microorganisms are grown must meet


their nutritional requirements.
a) Describe four factors that affect the choice of industrial raw
materials for use as microbiological media.
b) Using examples, describe the roles that the following media
components play?
i) Precursors
ii) Inhibitors
iii) Inducers
c) List four characteristics of an ideal antifoam
d) Describe the use of one factor at a time method in medium
optimisation.
4) a) A fermentation medium contains an initial spore concentration of
8.5 x 1010. The medium is sterilized thermally at 120 °C, and the spore
density was noted with the progress of time as given below:

Time 0 5 10 15 20 30
(min)
Spore 8.5 x 4.23 x 6.2 x 1.8 x 4.5 x 32.
density 1010 109 107 106 104 5
(m )
-3

Note: The gas constant R is 8.314 J / mol·K


ln (Nt/No ) = kd.t
k = A.e-Ea/RT

i) Find the thermal specific death rate.


ii) Calculate the survival factor (nt) at 40 min.
b) The thermal death kinetic data of Bacillus stearothermophilus
(which is one of the most heat-resistant microbial type) are as
follows at three different temperatures:

Temperature 115 120 125


(oC)

kd (min-1) 0.03 0.11 0.34


5 2 7

Note: The gas constant R is 8.314 J / mol·K


ln (Nt/No ) = kd.t
k = A.e-Ea/RT

i) Calculate the activation energy (E d) and Arrhenius constant (A)


of the thermal specific death rate Kd.
ii) Find Kd at 130 °C.

5) A biotech company is producing a high-value product using a


microbial fermentation process. The company uses both batch and
continuous fermenters in its production process. The microbial culture
used in the fermentation process is highly sensitive to contamination,
so the company has implemented a rigorous sterilization protocol for
its fermenters. The company uses heat sterilization for its batch
fermenters and chemical sterilization for its continuous fermenters.
The death kinetics of the contaminating organisms are known and
follow first-order kinetics.
a) Describe the differences between batch and continuous fermenter
sterilization processes.
b) Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each method in this
specific case.
c) Given the death kinetics of the contaminating organisms, how
would you determine the appropriate sterilization conditions (time
and temperature for heat sterilization, concentration and contact
time for chemical sterilization) for each type of fermenter?
d) Discuss the potential impacts of inadequate sterilization on the
fermentation process and the final product.
e) How could the company mitigate these risks?
f) How would changes in the death kinetics of the contaminating
organisms affect the sterilization process?

END

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