4 Lesson 4 Microbiology in Industry

Ex. 4.1 Words and word-combinations to the text

capabilities – возможности, способности

to employ – применять, использовать

solvent – растворитель

lubricant – смазка

extractance –

adhesive – липкий

plactics – пластмасса

explossive – взрывчатое вещество

substrate –

starch – крахмал

petroleum – нефть

derivative – дериват

by-products – побочные продукты

wastes – отходы

ethanol – этанол

n-butanol – бутанол

aceton – ацетон

aminoacids – аминокислоты

to catalize –

glycerol –

petrochemicals – нефтехимикаты

feedstock –

Ex. 4.2 Translate the following word-combinations

industrial chemicals –

industrial applications –

raw material –

to take into account –

to put in another way –

potential value –

commercial value –

aliphatic organic compounds –

chemical bonds –

particular substrate molecule –

benzene rings –

acetic /cilitric/ lactic acid –

thermophilic bacteria –

Ex. 4.3 Read and translate the text

The microbiological production of industrial chemicals

The synthetic capabilities of microorganisms are not confined to food, drink and pharmaceuticals. Microorganisms are known also to produce industrial chemicals that can either serve as or be employed to make solvents, lubricants, extractance, adhesives, plastics, surface coatings, explosives, etc. Often an organic substance with industrial applications can be made either biologically or by chemical synthesis, the decision to make it one way or the other being essentially an economic one. A major consideration proves to be the cost of the raw materials. In microbiological fermentation the chief raw material has been found to be the growth substrate, it usually being starch. In chemical synthesis the principal raw material has been found to be petroleum or a derivative of it. The efficiency of the process must be taken into account. Another factor to be taken into account is the cost recovering the product from the fermentation medium. One must also weigh the potential value of by-products, and the cost of disposing wastes.

Microorganisms are known to produce some 200 substances of commercial value, only a few of them being currently made by biological methods in industry, they include ethanol, n-butanol, aceton, acetic acid, amino acids and enzimes. Scientists consider microorganisms to have a larger role in many industries. With the new genetic methods the microbiologists and chemists are able to replace an existing pathway with a new one. To put in another way, they can construct organisms that have new characteristics and capabilities. Thus microbiological fermentation in conjuction with the new techniques could contribute significantly to the production of three broad classes of industrial chemicals: aliphatic organic compounds, amino acids, and enzymes.

Enzymes can catalize both the making and the braking of chemical bonds. Each enzyme is stated to act only on a particular substrate molecule.Commercially produced enzymes are playing an increasing role in medical diagnosis.

The second major class of industrial chemicals is known to be made up of aliphatic organic compounds, which prove to be distinguished by the absence of benzene rings and similar structures. The aliphatic substances with industrial applications can be broadly divided into two categories: solvents and organic acids. The solvents were found to include ethanol, n-butanol, acetone and glycerol; the organic acids have been found by the scientists to include acetic acid, citric acid and lactic acid.

In general the scientists found the solvents not to be made by biological means, although n-butanol, acetone and glycerol were once made that way. Nevertheless, the solvent industry may return to fermentation because of the cost of petrochemicals, the prospect of exploiting thermophilic bacteria and the availability of new feedstocks.

Thermophilic bacteria have been stated to grow rapidly in the range of temperatures between 60 and 75 C. We found their chief advantage over microorganisms to be their faster metabolism.

Microorganisms have been studied thoroughly but still much is to be studied.

Ex. 4.4 Decide if each statement below is true or false according to the reading. If the statement is false, tell why

1. The synthetic capabilities of microorganisms are confined only to pharmaceuticals.

2. Microorganisms can be used to make solvents, plastics, explosives, etc.

3. Petroleum is the chief raw material in microbiological fermentation.

4. Potential value of by-products and the cost of disposing wastes must be taken into account.

5. Ethanol is one of the substances made by biological methods.

6. Microorganisms are considered to take an important role in many industries.

7. Commercially produced enzymes can be used in medicine.

8. Solvents belong to the class of amino acids.

9. N-butanol, acetone and glycerol were once made by biological means.

10. Thermophilic bacteria start to grow rapidly under the temperatures between 60⁰ and 75⁰C.

Ex. 4.5 Complete the following sentences

1. Decision to make an industrial chemical biologically or by chemical synthesis depends on ... .

2. The efficiency of the process must ... .

3. Microorganisms are known to produce ... .

4. Substances being currently made biologically include ... .

5. Microbiologists and chemists can construct organisms that have ... .

6. Microbiological fermentation is used in production of ... .

7. Enzymes can act only on ... .

8. Aliphatic organic compounds are characterized by ... .

9. The solvent industry may return to fermentation because of ... .

10. The chief advantage of thermophilic bacteria is ... .

Ex. 4.6 Read and translate the text. Give a title to it, make up a dialogue using given information

Food microbiology. Yogurt, cheese, chocolate, butter, pickles, sauerkraut, soya sauce, vitamins, amino acids, food thickeners (microbial polysaccharides), alcohol, sausages, and silage (anima food) are all produced by industrial microbiology processes. "Good" bacteria such as probiotics are becoming increasingly important in the food industry.

Biopolymers. A huge variety of biopolymers, such as polysaccharides, polyesters, and polyamides, are produced by microorganisms. These products range from viscous solutions to plastics. The genetic manipulation of microorganisms has permitted the biotechnological production of biopolymers with tailored material properties suitable for high-value medical application such as tissue engineering and drug delivery. Industrial microbiology can be used for the biosynthesis of xanthan, alginate, cellulose, cyanophycin, poly(gamma-glutamic acid), levan, hyaluronic acid, organic acids, oligosaccharides and polysaccharides, and polyhydroxyalkanoates.

Bioremediation. Microbial biodegradation of pollutants can be used to cleanup contaminated environments. These bioremediation and biotransformation methods harness naturally occurring microbes to degrade, transform or accumulate a huge range of compounds including hydrocarbons (e.g. oil), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), pharmaceutical substances, radionuclides and metals.

Waste biotreatment. Microorganisms are used to treat the vast quantities of wastes generated by modern societies. Biotreatment, the processing of wastes using living organisms, is an environmentally friendly, relatively simple and cost-effective alternative to physico-chemical clean-up options. Confined environments, such as bioreactors] can be employed in biotreatment processes.

Health-care and medicine. Microorganisms are used to produce human or animal biologicals such as insulin, growth hormone, and antibodies. Diagnostic assays that use monoclonal antibody, DNA probe technology or real-time PCR are used as rapid tests for pathogenic organisms in the clinical laborarory.

Ex. 4.7 Translate from Russian into English, use Subjective and Objective Infinitive Constructions

1. Мы знаем, что эта статья посвящена развитию микробиологии в нашей стране.

2. Оказалось, что стоимость производства этих веществ очень велика.

3. Было установлено, что этанол является одним из наиболее важных органических химикатов в этой промышленности.

4. Известно, что научные сотрудники нашего института провели серию экспериментов, используя органический растворитель – бутанол.

5. Этот метод, по-видимому, старый и не даёт хороших результатов.

6. Обнаружено, что из промышленных кислот уксусная кислота является самой важной.

7. Известно, что в последнее время фармацевтическая промышленность значительно развилась.

8. Они знали, что опыты были закончены и результаты были удовлетворительными.

9. Этот растворитель, по-видимому, не сможет быть использован в нашей отрасли.

10. Оказалось, что микроорганизмы могут использовать для производства промышленных химикатов.

Ex. 4.8 Answer the following questions

1. What does this text deal with?

2. What do microorganisms produce?

3. How can an organic substance with industrial applications be made?

4. What is the major consideration?

5. What is the chief raw material in microbiological fermentation?

6. What is the principal raw material in chemical synthesis?

7. How many substances are known to be produced by microorganisms?

8. What three broad classes of industrial chemicals do you know?

9. What do you know about enzymes?

10. What is the chief advantage of thermophilic bacteria over microorganisms?

Ex. 4.9 Retell the text «The microbiological production of industrial chemicals»