Chronological developments & Range of Bioprocess Technology

CHRONOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS & SCOPE OF BIOPROCESS TECHNOLOGY ANCIENT BIOPROCESS TECHNOLOGY The use of yeasts dates back to ancient days. Sumarians and Babylonians were drinking beer by 6000 BC; they were the first to convert sugar to alcohol by yeasts. By 4000 BC, the Egyptians had discovered that carbon dioxide generated by the action of brewer’ s yeast could leaven bread. Ancient peoples were able to use high microbial activity of molds and bacteria for beneficial transformations called fermentations for making products like YOGHURT, CHEESE, SOY SAUCE etc. In Renaissance Europe (14th- 17th century), Soil bacteria were used to produce nitrates from ammonia in horse urine, for manufacturing gunpowder. Aztecs of Mexico (13th -16th century) cultured Spirulina for waste treatment process and as protein source. MODERN BIOPROCESS TECHNOLOGY Louis Pasteur, a French Scientist, is the father of modern Bioprocess/ Fermentation Technology. In 1835, scientists re-discovered that the conversion of sugar to alcohol like in (beer and wine production) and conversion of sugar to lactic acid as in (Cheese production) were both microbiological processes and both needed microbial “SEED” or (inoculum) to start them. In 1876, Pasteur discovered a new way of sterilizing materials known as “PASTEURIZATION”. In1877, Enzymes were introduced by Wilhelm Kuhne. In 1909, First chemotherapeutic drug was discovered by Paul Erlich In1915, Chaim Weizmann developed bacterial fermentation processes that used Clostridium acetobutylicum for producing organic chemicals such as acetone and cordite propellants. The first industrial production of Citric Acid occurred in 1923 The golden era of antibiotics began with the accidental discovery of penicillin by Alexander Fleming in 1929 in England. He noted that some of his plates containing Staphylococcus aureus were contaminated with a mold, Penicillium notatum, and was surprised to see that none of the bacterial colonies could grow in the vicinity of the mold. Fleming concluded that the mold was producing some kind of inhibitory agent. He also observed that filtrates of the mold lysed the staphylococci and were non - toxic in animals. He named the agent penicillin. Since the activity was very unstable and Fleming could get no encouragement from his fellow scientists concerning the usefulness of such material, the project was abandoned. A team of researchers including Howard W. Florey, Ernst B. Chain, Norman Heatley, Edward Abraham, and their colleagues at Oxford University found a way to purify penicillin and keep it stable in 1940. Pfizer, which had made fortunes using fermentation processes to produce citric acid in the 1920s, then turned its attention to penicillin. In 1940’s an intense development in microbial genetics began. Genetic manipulation made tremendous strides in production ability and led to a whole new technology known as “strain improvement.” Material shortages forced countries to look for biological sources of chemical feed stocks, the Germans grew yeast-single-cell protein for food and animal fodder. In the 1950s, the oil companies developed processes for growing bacteria on oil. In 1968, the Japanese produced 110 tons of single-cell protein bacteria. In1971, First Biotechnology Industry CETUS CORPORATION was established in Berkeley, California. In 1972, First Recombinant DNA was developed by Paul Berg, Stanley Cohen and Herbert Boyer at Stanford University and University of California. In 1975 Monoclonal antibody was produced by Georges Kohler and Cesar Milstein using Hybridoma technology. In 1978 Genentech had developed human insulin, the first recombinant protein. In 1982: First Recombinant protein (rHuman Insulin) became available in Market. 1986: Commercial production of first Therapeutic MAb (AntiCD3). They are immunosuppressive drugs for treatment of transplant rejection. PRESENT SCENARIO OF BIOPROCESS TECHNOLOGY The world stepped up in twenty-first century with all the basic research required for establishing a bioprocess industry along with the advanced recombinant technology to make products of therapeutic values and other economic importance. In 2002 10 cubic meters of Stirred Tank Reactor for mammalian cell culture was developed. In 2007: The Bioprocess products market exceeded 700 billion US$. Only the biopharmaceuticals market reached 70 billion US$. Mammalian cell culture products reached 25 billion US$. Bioprocess technologies are improving the lives of people around the world, with generation of new jobs. RANGE OF FERMENTATION/BIOPROCESSES There are five major groups of commercially important fermentations: (1) Microbial Biomass (2) Microbial enzymes (3) Microbial metabolites (4) Recombinant products (5) Transformation processes: Other products that can be obtained using fermentation are, Biofuels and Biochemicals: Biopharmaceuticals and Nutraceuticals: Enzyme technology: Biorefineries: