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Discuss how we can put microbes to work to improve our lives — from maintaining environmental cleanliness to producing nutritious foods and beverages.
Recognize the importance of microorganisms in water and sewage treatment systems.
Explain key concepts in food microbiology, emphasizing both prevention of infection and the roles of specific microbial taxa in food preparation.
Describe how microorganisms are utilized in industrial microbiology.
Nitrification: Aerobic bacteria (like Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter) convert harmful ammonia (7$NH_3$) into nitrate (8$NO_3^-$).9
Denitrification: Anaerobic bacteria convert the nitrate (10$NO_3^-$) into harmless nitrogen gas (11$N_2$), which is released into the atmosphere.12
Sludge Digestion: In anaerobic digesters, anaerobic bacteria break down the residual solid matter (sludge) into simpler compounds, notably producing methane gas (13$CH_4$), which can be captured and used as a source of energy (biogas).14
Food microbiology covers both the beneficial use of microbes for creating food and the critical need to control harmful ones for safety.15
The main goal of this field is to prevent foodborne illnesses (caused by pathogens like Salmonella, E.16 coli, and Listeria) and food spoilage (caused by molds, yeasts, and non-pathogenic bacteria).17 Key concepts include:
Microorganisms are indispensable to human life, working tirelessly and invisibly to maintain our environment and produce a vast array of essential goods. Their metabolic capabilities are fundamental to environmental cleanup, food production, and industrial manufacturing.
Microorganisms are the biological backbone of modern water and sewage treatment systems. Their primary role is to consume and break down organic pollutants, effectively cleaning wastewater before it's returned to the environment.
Removal of Organic Matter: In the secondary treatment phase (like in activated sludge systems), a diverse community of aerobic bacteria is kept in suspension and supplied with oxygen. These bacteria metabolize the dissolved organic matter (contaminants) in the sewage, converting complex compounds into simpler ones like carbon dioxide, water, and new microbial biomass. This process significantly reduces the Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), which is the amount of oxygen required by microbes to break down organic matter.
Nutrient Removal: Microbes are critical for removing nitrogen and phosphorus, which would otherwise cause eutrophication (excessive plant/algae growth) in natural waterways.