Industrial Applications of Microbes and Viruses in Biotechnology

The industrial application of microorganisms has been proven to provide sustainable solutions across various sectors. Microbes are currently at the forefront of innovation in healthcare, agriculture, environmental science, and manufacturing - offering efficient and environmentally friendly alternatives to conventional industrial processes. The versatility of biotechnology is critical when it comes to tackling global challenges.1

Image Credit: Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock.comImage Credit: Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock.com

Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals

Antibiotic and Vaccine Production

Modern biotechnology has revolutionized vaccine development through platforms like viral vectors and mRNA technologies, highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic, and have significantly enhanced cost-effectiveness.2

Noteworthy examples include insulin production using Escherichia coli and the synthesis of artemisinin precursors in yeast for treating malaria.3

Gene Therapy

Viral vectors, especially adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) and lentiviruses, are pivotal in gene therapy: effectively delivering therapeutic genes for genetic disorders, with recent advancements in these vector designs greatly improving their safety and effectiveness.

Successful treatments for conditions like spinal muscular atrophy and inherited retinal diseases have proven the potential of these types of therapies.4

Drug Discovery

Microbial secondary metabolites are crucial for drug discovery, and about 60-70% of approved drugs derive from them.

Marine and soil microorganisms are emerging as promising sources of novel bioactive compounds, with recent findings including potential anticancer agents from deep-sea bacteria and the development of new antibiotics from bacteria found in soil.5

What Role does Fermentation Play in the Pharmaceutical Industry?

Agriculture and Food Industry

Biofertilizers and Biopesticides

Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria and mycorrhizal fungi are effective biofertilizers. They enhance nutrient uptake and soil health while reducing reliance on chemical fertilizers. These beneficial microorganisms also help plants withstand environmental stresses.

Field trials have shown yield increases of 20-30% in crops treated with microbial biofertilizers. Specific strains, such as those from Bacillus and Trichoderma, have improved crop resistance to drought and salinity while enhancing nutrient uptake.6

Fermentation Processes

The food industry heavily relies on microbial fermentation, with lactic acid bacteria and yeasts crucial for producing various fermented foods and beverages. These processes not only improve flavors and textures but also enhance nutritional value and food preservation.

These techniques have led to plant-based alternatives to meat and dairy, which can help in meeting the rising demand for sustainable protein sources.7

Disease Control

Bacteriophages are gaining traction as precise biological control agents, targeting specific plant pathogens without harming beneficial microorganisms. This provides a sustainable alternative to chemical pesticides, with successful applications including the control of bacterial wilt in tomatoes and preventing soft rot in potatoes.

Recent advancements have led to commercial phage therapy products that can reduce crop losses by up to 50% and assist in maintaining ecological balance.8

Microbiology of Food Processing

Environmental Applications

Bioremediation

Specialized bacterial strains can effectively degrade environmental pollutants, such as petroleum, with new advancements in this field that are only further enhancing these capabilities. Success stories include using Alcanivorax borkumensis for oil spill cleanup and genetically modified Pseudomonas strains for heavy metal remediation.9

Biofuels and Bioplastics

Engineered microalgae and bacteria are now producing sustainable biofuels and biodegradable plastics, addressing both energy needs and plastic pollution concerns.

Recent advances in metabolic engineering have improved production efficiency: for instance, modified strains of Escherichia coli are producing bioethanol with economically feasible yields, and engineered cyanobacteria are converting solar energy directly into biofuels.

In bioplastics, the production of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) by bacteria has reached commercial viability, enabling the creation of fully biodegradable packaging at competitive prices.10

Waste Management

Bacterial anaerobic digestion processes can transform organic waste into biogas and valuable fertilizers. Advanced microorganisms are being developed to enhance the efficiency of waste treatment and resource recovery.

Modern facilities using optimized bacteria achieve methane yields of up to 80% from organic waste, producing high-quality fertilizers. New technologies integrating this anaerobic digestion inside microbial fuel cells show promise for simultaneous waste treatment and electricity generation.11

Role of Biotechnology in the Fight Against Antibiotic Resistance

Industrial Production and Manufacturing

Enzyme Production

Industrial enzymes produced by microorganisms play a critical role in manufacturing processes, operating under mild conditions that reduce energy consumption and environmental impact.

The global enzyme market now exceeds $5 billion annually, with applications in areas ranging from laundry detergents to paper manufacturing. Recent discoveries include thermostable enzymes for high-temperature processes and those with enhanced substrate specificity.12

Biocatalysis

Microbial enzymes are effective catalysts for industrial chemical reactions, providing high selectivity and lower environmental impact than traditional processes.

Successful applications include the production of acrylamide using nitrile hydratase and synthesizing pharmaceutical intermediates with transaminases. These biocatalytic processes have reduced production costs by up to 50% while minimizing environmental impacts.13

Synthetic Biology

Engineered microorganisms now produce high-value chemicals and materials, such as pharmaceuticals and fragrances, offering sustainable alternatives to traditional synthesis methods.

Successful commercial applications include producing artemisinin precursors and vanillin using engineered yeast and bacteria.14

Future Potential and Emerging Trends

CRISPR and Gene Editing

CRISPR-Cas9 technology has transformed microbial engineering, enabling precise genetic modifications for enhanced production capabilities.

Recent advancements include multiplexed genome editing systems that modify multiple genes simultaneously, leading to improved production strains and new applications in biosensing and diagnostics.15

Metabolic Engineering

Advanced metabolic engineering techniques are optimizing production pathways, improving yields, and expanding the range of possible products.

Approaches combining synthetic biology with machine learning are yielding unprecedented improvements in efficiency and yield, with successes including the production of rare natural products and the development of synthetic pathways for novel compounds.16

Sustainable Practices

Integrating microbial processes into current economy models promises more sustainable industrial practices with reduced environmental impacts.

The latest research in this field includes the development of biorefineries that combine multiple microbial processes to maximize resource utilization and minimizes waste. These systems show incredible potential for achieving both economic viability and environmental sustainability.17

In summary, microbes and viruses have revolutionized industrial biotechnology, providing sustainable solutions across multiple sectors. As advancements in genetic engineering and synthetic biology continue, these microscopic organisms have a pivotal role in addressing global industrial and environmental challenges.

References

  1. Singh, R., et al. (2021). Microbial Biotechnology: Basic Research and Applications. Environmental Research, 195, 110827. DOI:10.1007/978-981-15-2817-0
  2. Pollard, A.J., & Bijker, E.M. (2021). A guide to vaccinology: from basic principles to new developments. Nature Reviews Immunology, 21(2), 83-100. DOI: 10.1038/s41577-020-00479-7
  3. Schmidt, F.R. (2004). Recombinant expression systems in the pharmaceutical industry. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 65(4), 363-372. DOI: 10.1007/s00253-004-1656-9
  4. Dunbar, C.E., et al. (2018). Gene therapy comes of age. Science, 359(6372), eaan4672. DOI: 10.1126/science.aan4672
  5. Newman, D.J., & Cragg, G.M. (2020). Natural Products as Sources of New Drugs over the Nearly Four Decades from 01/1981 to 09/2019. Journal of Natural Products, 83(3), 770-803. DOI: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.9b01285
  6. Backer, R., et al. (2018). Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria: Context, Mechanisms of Action, and Roadmap to Commercialization of Biostimulants for Sustainable Agriculture. Frontiers in Plant Science, 9, 1473. DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2018.01473
  7. Marco, M.L., et al. (2021). The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) consensus statement on fermented foods. Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology, 18(3), 196-208. DOI: 10.1038/s41575-020-00390-5
  8. Buttimer, C., et al. (2017). Bacteriophages and Bacterial Plant Diseases. Frontiers in Microbiology, 8, 34. DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.00034
  9. Kang, Y.S., et al. (2020). Bioremediation of Environmental Pollutants: Current Status and Future Outlook. Environmental Technology & Innovation, 19, 101013. DOI: 10.1016/j.eti.2020.101013
  10. Lee, S.Y., et al. (2021). A comprehensive metabolic map for production of bio-based chemicals. Nature Catalysis, 4(4), 256-267. DOI: 10.1038/s41929-021-00584-3
  11. Sawatdeenarunat, C., et al. (2015). Anaerobic digestion of lignocellulosic biomass: Challenges and opportunities. Bioresource Technology, 178, 178-186. DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2014.09.103
  12. Singh, R., et al. (2016). Microbial enzymes: industrial progress in 21st century. 3 Biotech, 6(2), 174. DOI: 10.1007/s13205-016-0485-8
  13. Sheldon, R.A., & Woodley, J.M. (2018). Role of Biocatalysis in Sustainable Chemistry. Chemical Reviews, 118(2), 801-838. DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.7b00203
  14. Nielsen, J., & Keasling, J.D. (2016). Engineering Cellular Metabolism. Cell, 164(6), 1185-1197. DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2016.02.004
  15. Knott, G.J., & Doudna, J.A. (2018). CRISPR-Cas guides the future of genetic engineering. Science, 361(6405), 866-869. DOI: 10.1126/science.aat5011
  16. Lee, S.Y., et al. (2019). Metabolic engineering of microorganisms for the production of chemicals and fuels from renewable resources. Nature Reviews Microbiology, 17(5), 277-290. DOI: 10.1038/s41579-019-0158-x
  17. Venkata Mohan, S., et al. (2016). Waste biorefinery models towards sustainable circular bioeconomy: Critical review and future perspectives. Bioresource Technology, 215, 2-12. DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2016.03.130

Further Reading

Last Updated: Nov 22, 2024

Written by

Phoebe Hinton-Sheley

Phoebe Hinton-Sheley has a B.Sc. (Class I Hons) in Microbiology from the University of Wolverhampton. Due to her background and interests, Phoebe mostly writes for the Life Sciences side of News-Medical, focussing on Microbiology and related techniques and diseases. However, she also enjoys writing about topics along the lines of Genetics, Molecular Biology, and Biochemistry.

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