The economic importance of microorganisms

 

The economic importance of microorganisms

For millennia, microorganisms have been used as manufacturing tools. The ability to make vinegar by allowing water to percolate through wood shavings was known and widely practiced even in ancient times. Similarly, the transformation of a yeast suspension into beer or a crushed grape suspension into wine was well understood. Although the circumstances surrounding these events were unknown, this did not prevent the sale or trade of such products. Other biotechnological applications for microbes were discovered as knowledge of bacteria and yeast-chemical behaviors grew. Examples include the use of various bacteria to make a variety of cheeses and the fermentation of cabbage to make sauerkraut. The discovery of Rhizobium spp to convert elemental nitrogen into a form usable by growing plants led to the use of the microorganism as a living fertilizer in the agricultural sector.

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Cheese is produced by the partial degradation of milk by various microorganisms. The texture, flavor, and taste of various kinds of cheese distinguish them. Roquefort cheese is ripened by growing a specific fungus on it, which imparts a distinct flavor. Penicillin was the first antibiotic discovered. While working on Staphylococci bacteria, Alexander Fleming discovered a chemical that inhibits bacterial growth. Penicillium was widely used in the treatment of American soldiers injured during WWII. This discovery earned Ernest Chain and Howard Florey the Nobel Prize in 1945. Microbes are essential and valuable organisms in this world because they play a significant role in various sectors of the world's economic development. Few scientists believe that removing microbes from the world is possible, but most believe that the world cannot function without microbes. Every country's government should focus on microbes, determining which microbes are beneficial and which are not, and linking this research to the rest of the world to advance the country. Similarly, some add nitrogen to the soil to promote plant growth, while a few microbes convert the soil structure to promote plant growth.

The discovery of the structure of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) was instrumental in the advancement of the use of microorganisms as factories. The discovery of how to remove DNA from a specific region of the genome and move it in a controlled manner has resulted in advances in gene splicing technologies. Biotechnologists have created "designer genes" that are purpose-specific. The human insulin gene has been transferred into the genome of the common intestinal tract bacterium Escherichia coli. Because the insulin is identical to that produced in humans, there is little chance of an immune reaction to the protein. The example of insulin exemplifies both the health benefit of using microbes and the potential economic benefit. Bacteria are being used in factories to create compounds used in industries as diverse as textile manufacturing, agriculture, and nutrition. Enzymes discovered in bacteria that can survive at extremely high temperatures can be used to age denim. Bacteria can also help plants by providing some resistance. One example is the use of Bacillus thuringiensis to provide a protein that is toxic to insects when consumed.