In this article we will discuss about the discovery and commercial production of penicillin. Discovery of Penicillin: Alexander Flemming discovered penicillin secretion by the mold Penicillium notatum in 1929. He reported that a contaminating colony of the fungus lysed adjacent colonies of staphylococci; but the lytic agent seemed too unstable to be useful. However, when Chain purified the active material, [...]
The following points highlight the top two vitamins produced by microbial fermentation. The vitamins are: 1. Vitamin B12 2. Vitamin B2. 1. Vitamin B12 (Cyanocobalamine; Cobalbumin): This vitamin is recovered as a by-product of streptomycin and aureomycin antibiotic fermentations. A soluble cobalt salt is added to the fermentation reaction as a precursor to vitamin B12. Relatively high amounts of this [...]
The below mentioned article provides an overview on the production of antibiotics:- 1. Introduction to Antibiotics 2. Use of Inoculum in Production of Antibiotics 3. Use of Fermentor 4. Medium used 5. Biotransformation. Introduction to Antibiotics: Antibiotics are metabolites having preferential antimicrobial activity. Therefore, they are widely used for curing of human ailments caused by microorganisms. But some of the [...]