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Biotechnology Flashcards

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Biology 101 flashcards
1
Q

What is biotechnology?

A

Applying biological organisms or enzymes derived from them to the synthesis, breakdown or transformation of materials in the service of people.

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2
Q

What are some traditional uses of biotechnology?

A

Cheese, alcohol, yoghurt, bread

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3
Q

What are some modern uses of biotechnology?

A

Synthesis of drugs such as insulin and antibiotics like penicillin.
Bioremediation.

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4
Q

What are the advantages of using microorganisms in biotechnology? (7)

A

Gene expression can be easily modified.
Short life cycle => quick growth.
Use almost anything as a food source.
Secrete proteins externally, so they can be easily harvested.
Can be grown at low temperatures to conserve energy.
Prokaryotes all reproduce asexually, so populations are genetically identical.
Few ethical issues.

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5
Q

What is the difference between using microorganisms directly or indirectly in food production?

A

Directly => the microorganism is consumed by humans.

Indirectly => the microorganism acts ON food products.

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6
Q

What are some examples of the indirect use of microorganisms in food production?

A

Brewing alcohol.
Baking bread.
Yoghurt production.
Cheese making.

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7
Q

What is the main example of direct use of microorganisms in food production?

A

Quorn is a rich alternative source of protein to meat, with less fat content.
Quorn is made from the fungus Fusarium venenatum.

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8
Q

What are the advantages to using microorganisms in food production? (6)

A

Reproduce/produce protein much faster than animals or plants.
High in protein with little fat content.
Can be grown on human/animal waste, reducing costs.
Can be GM to produce specific proteins.
Independent of the weather/season, so production can be altered to match demand.
No animal welfare issues.

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9
Q

What are the disadvantages to using microorganisms in food production? (5)

A

Can produce toxins if conditions are not carefully maintained.
Protein must be purified from the culture.
Requires sterile conditions => increases costs.
People have concerns over GM food.
Little natural flavour.

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10
Q

What microorganism is used to produce penicillin?

A

The fungus Penicillium chrysogenum.

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11
Q

What are the requirements of the fungus Penicillium chrysogenum in order to produce penicillin?

A

Sensitive to pH and temperature.
Requires high oxygen levels and a rich nutrient medium.
Penicillin is a secondary metabolite, so is mainly produced in the stationary phase of growth.

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12
Q

What is bioremediation?

A

When microorganisms are used on brownfield sites/oil spills to break down pollutants and contaminants in the soil or in water.

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13
Q

What is the difference between the use of natural organisms and GM organisms in bioremediation?

A

Natural organisms break down organic pollutants such as sewage and crude oil into carbon dioxide and water.
GM organisms are used to break down unnatural contaminants, although they are not as effective as natural organisms.
Both are supported by humans (nutrients, oxygen, pH).

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14
Q

Why are plants sometimes used in bioremediation?

A

Plants with symbiotic relationships with microorganisms are used to cover a wider area or to absorb heavy metals from the soil.

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15
Q

What is asepsis?

A

The absence of unwanted (micro)organisms (contamination).

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16
Q

What are some examples of when asepsis is important?

A 
Penicillin/insulin production.
Food production.
GM of organisms.
Hormone production.
Surgery.
Micropropagation using tissue culture.
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17
Q

Why is asepsis desirable?

A

Prevents contamination, which:

  • reduces yield of useful products (due to competition).
  • can result in the production of toxins.
  • can destroy the microorganisms being cultured.
  • can result in patients being infected.
  • can result in the release of the microorganism into the environment.
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18
Q

What are some examples of aseptic technique? (4)

A

Flaming the rim of bottles/tubes.
Carrying out procedure under a flame (convection current).
Sterilisation with UV light.
Opening petri dishes as little as possible.

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19
Q

Why are serial dilutions useful when culturing bacteria?

A

Serial dilutions are done to estimate the number of bacteria present in a sample.
This is done when investigating factors affecting the growth rate of bacteria.

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20
Q

What are the main factors that limit the growth of bacterial cultures?

A

Nutrient/water availability.
Space.
Build up of waste products.

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21
Q

What is a closed growth system?

A

Bacterial culturing in the lab, where nutrients are not added after the culture is established.

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22
Q

What name is given to the curve representing the growth of a bacterial culture in a closed growth system?

A

The standard growth curve.

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23
Q

What are the 4 phases of the standard growth curve?

A

Lag phase.
Log phase.
Stationary phase.
Death phase.

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24
Q

What happens in the lag phase of the standard growth curve?

A

The population increases slowly.
The bacteria are adapting to the new environment and food source.
=> synthesising inducible enzymes and factors related to cell division.

25
Q

What happens in the log phase of the standard growth curve?

A

Exponential growth, each cell divides per unit time.

26
Q

What happens in the stationary phase of the standard growth curve?

A

Limiting factors take effect.

Mortality=natality

27
Q

What happens in the death phase of the standard growth curve?

A

The population decreases due to limiting factors.

28
Q

What are metabolites?

A

The chemicals produced by an organism during metabolism (chemical reactions inside cells).

29
Q

What are primary metabolites?

A

Substances made during normal growth.

e.g: amino acids, enzymes.

30
Q

What are secondary metabolites?

A

Substances made outside of normal growth.

e.g: antibiotics such as penicillin.

31
Q

What is a fermenter?

A

A vessel used to grow microorganisms where the conditions can be controlled to produce the highest yield of product.

32
Q

How is temperature controlled in a fermenter?

Why must temperature be controlled?

A

Controlled using a temperature probe and a cooling jacket.

Microorganisms must be at the optimum temperature in order to maximise yield.

33
Q

How is pH controlled in a fermenter?

Why must pH be controlled?

A

Controlled using a pH probe and buffer solutions.

Microorganisms must be at the optimum pH in order to maximise yield.

34
Q

How are nutrients supplied to the microorganisms in a fermenter?
Why must nutrients be supplied?

A

Nutrients can be added, mixed in by stirring with paddles (impeller).
Microorganisms must have a constant supply of respiratory substrates, in order to maximise yield and prevent the production of toxins.

35
Q

How is oxygen supplied to the microorganisms in a fermenter?

Why must oxygen be supplied?

A

Oxygen probe, sterile air can be pumped in (sparger) and mixed with the paddles (impeller).
Microorganisms must have a constant supply of oxygen in order to respire aerobically.

36
Q

How is asepsis achieved in a fermenter?

Why is this important?

A

Sealed units, the workers follow aseptic technique.

The fermenter must not become contaminated.

37
Q

Why is an impeller used to agitate the mixture in the fermenter?

A

Diffusion is not fast enough to supply microorganisms with nutrients/oxygen.

38
Q

What is batch culture used for?

A

Harvesting metabolites.

39
Q

What is continuous culture used for?

A

Harvesting biomass.

40
Q

Describe the process of batch culture.

A

Microorganisms are inoculated into a fixed volume of nutrient medium.
Nutrients are used up and waste products build up during growth.
The process is stopped during the stationary phase and the products are harvested.
The process is repeated.

41
Q

Describe the process of continuous culture.

A

Microorganisms are inoculated into a sterile nutrient medium.
Nutrients are constantly added while the culture is growing, and culture broth is constantly removed.
The product is separated by downstream processing.

42
Q

What is the difference between the production of penicillin and enzymes via batch culture?

A

Penicillin is a secondary metabolite, so is mainly produced during the stationary phase of growth (prevents continuous culture).
Enzymes are primary metabolites, but the highest production rate is during stationary and log phases.

43
Q

What is an example of a microorganism that would be used with a continuous culture method?

A

Fusarium venenatum, to produce quorn.

44
Q

What must the culture medium for Fusarium venenatum contain?

A 
Glucose
Ammonium phosphate (for nitrogen).
45
Q

Why can an impeller not be used when culturing Fusarium venenatum?

A

It would break up the hyphae of the fungus.

46
Q

What must be done after the hyphae of Fusarium venenatum are harvested in continuous culture?

A

Enzymes are used to remove the DNA (improves taste).

The product is then purified.

47
Q

What are the advantages to batch culture?

A

Faster to set up.
The fermenter can be used for a variety of different microorganisms.
If contamination occurs, only one batch is lost.

48
Q

What are the advantages to continuous culture?

A

No downtime.

Small vessels can be used as the constant output will still give a good yield.

49
Q

What is enzyme immobilisation?

A

Enzymes are immobilised by being attached to or located within an insoluble support.

50
Q

Why is enzyme immobilisation useful? (3)

A

Allows enzymes to be reused.
Prevents enzymes from contaminating the product.
Can increase enzyme stability (enzymes less likely to denature).

51
Q

What are the four methods of enzyme immobilisation?

A

Adsorbtion
Covalent bonding
Entrapment
Membrane separation (encapsulation)

52
Q

What is adsorbtion?

What are the downsides?

A

The enzyme binds to a surface material such as cellulose.

-the enzyme can easily detach and be lost

53
Q

What is covalent bonding?

What are the downsides?

A

The enzyme bonds covalently to a binding compound.

-this may modify the shape of the active site.

54
Q

What is entrapment?

What are the downsides?

A

Enzyme trapped within an internal structure such as a polysaccharide matrix.
-can slow reaction due to substrate diffusion.

55
Q

What is membrane separation?

What are the downsides?

A

Encapsulation inside a partially permeable membrane.

  • expensive
  • diffusion of substrate can slow rate of reaction
56
Q

What should be considered when deciding which enzyme immobilisation method to use?

A

The costs involved.
The rate of reaction required.
The temperature/pH required for the reaction.
Whether it is important for the product not to be contaminated via leakage of the enzyme.

57
Q

Why may extracellular enzymes be more suited to industry than intracellular enzymes?

A

They are secreted, so are easier to isolate.
They are more stable outside the cell.
Intracellular enzymes require very specific environmental conditions.

58
Q

Why should bacteria not be cultured at 35 degrees Celsius?

A

It encourages the growth of bacteria that may be harmful to humans.

BIO (33 decks)

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