Comparison of Microbial and Chemical Process Todd French, PhD Mississippi State University Dave C. Swalm School of Chemical Engineering

What are Microorganisms? Living organisms too small to see without the aide of magnification Members –Commercially Important Chemical Producers Bacteria Archaea Fungi Yeast –Non Commercially Viruses Protozoans Ameobes

Natural Facts Microorganisms require their nutrients to be in solution. –That solvent is water Life as we understand it has to have the following in order of abundance –Water –Carbon –Nitrogen –Phosphorus –Trace Elements Microorganisms follow all of the natural laws as does everything –For example They cannot create energy They cannot cause a reaction to occur that would not naturally occur They derive the energy from reduced metals, organics, hydrogen, or sunlight. Madigan, M.T. Martinko, and J. Parker Biology of Microorganisms. Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ

Creating A Carbon-Based Life Form List the criteria that we must address to have a living breathing organism? –Should we protect this creation from the elements? –Where will this organisms obtain energy? –How do we control the mass and energy changes? –How do we regulate water movement and is it necessary?

How did Nature do it?

Protection from the Environment

Building Blocks of Microbial Life

Organic Energy Sources

Enzymatic Reactions

Catalyst Kinetics Enzyme KineticsHeterogeneous catalyst kinetics

Differences B/W Biotic & Abiotic Processes Abiotic catalyst are orders of magnitude faster –Operate at much higher temperatures and pressures –Biotic catalyst can have very high specificity Biotic systems have an absolute requirement for water Biological systems are commonly self regulating Scale of the process –Obviously biotic systems are much larger

Similarities B/W Biotic & Abiotic Processes Adhere to natural laws –Will not cause rxn to occur that would not occur otherwise –Cannot create energy or mass Requires chemical rxn Effected by temperature and pH –Biological systems mildly effected by pressure

Not that Dissimilar in Function