1. FOOD304 – Microbial Biotechnology
Course Introduction
Dr Stephen On
Associate Professor in Food Microbiology
Adapted from materials prepared by:
Dr Malik Altaf Hussain
Senior Lecturer in Food Microbiology

2. Course Aims The main aims of this course are:
Course Aims and Learning Outcomes
Aims
The main aims of this course are:
To demonstrate the importance of micro-organisms in the production of certain foods;
To educate students of the use of microorganisms to convert native agricultural products into “added value” products;
To illustrate the widespread application and importance of certain microorganisms in biotechnological applications that improve human health, wealth and nutrition;
To confer skills useful in further postgraduate career development.

3. Course overview
Industrial and health applications of microorganisms are substantive and are expanding steadily
Microorganisms are used in;
processing agricultural and horticultural food products
production of value-added products (eg. bread, yogurt, booze!)
products aimed at improving human health (pre- and probiotics)
mitigations for food safety hazards (eg. phage therapy)
This course forms a solid foundation for students who intend to work in the food industry using microbial biotechnology in production; or higher level education in industrial food microbiology or allied disciplines

4. Key Objectives
Appreciate the diversity of micro-organisms which can be used to change the nature of food and how the same groups of microorganisms can be involved in the conversion of different foods.
Comprehend how environmental factors influence the microflora which develops on food and the succession of organisms which result.
Understand the principles of food conversions.
Appreciate the scope of microorganisms used in the food biotechnological sector.

5. Time Table LECTURES LAB CLASSES Day Time Room Day Time Room Monday
9:00 B5
Wednesday
Friday
LAB CLASSES
Day
Time
Room
Friday
12:00-2:00
NRE029

6. Expectations Cellphones off Brains on  Timeliness Openness
I am here to transfer knowledge
Communication is a two-way street
Don’t understand? Ask!

7. Fermented Food Products
Topics
Fermented Food Products
Industrial Biotechnology
Microbes and Health
Image usage approved by Evan Jerkunica.

8. Overview Final Examination 50 Two interim tests* 15 (best of two)
Laboratory marks 20
Presentation 15
------
100
* April 7th, May 15th

9. Laboratory Classes Presentation Skills Laboratories 1 per week
Starts with core methods refresher and microbial analysis of yogurt
Ends with advanced skills (PCR/BLAST)
Presentation Skills
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported | Arnaud 25
Hone your presentation and public speaking skills in a positive environment coached by experts!
M. Hussain, Image by Lincoln University.

10. Industry Visits 30% Laboratory classes
Provide excellent opportunities to learn from real-life situations
Current industry context
Polo Phil, Peerless Brewing Company. Brewing Equipment. GNU Free documentation license. From Wikimedia commons.

11. Microbiology: THE REFRESHER LECTURE
(Just in case you’ve forgotten a few things…)
By Masur (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

12. Microbes: they’re EVERYWHERE!
FOOD304 – Microbial Biotechnology
Microbes: they’re EVERYWHERE!
Gut Health
Food safety
Food production
Environmental flora
Spoilage
Plant/animal/human disease
Biotechnology
Bacteria
Archaea
Viruses
Protozoa
Fungi
NASA Identifier: modis_wonderglobe. US Government, public domain.

13. Hands up… If you’ve ever been ill. If you’re ever consumed…
Bread
Cheese
Yogurt
Pickles
Wine
Beer
If you’re alive.
Welcome to microbiology!
Micro – small
Bios – life
-ology – study of
Microbiology – the study of very small (invisible to the naked eye) life forms

14. Food Microbiology
A sub-discipline in the field of microbiology concerned with the study of microscopic bacteria, fungi, and viruses that are associated with foods.

15. Microbiology relates to:
Health (human, animal, plant)
Disease (human, animal, plant)
Agriculture (nutrient cycling, N2 cycle)
Food (safety, production, protection)
Environment (N2 cycle, environmental health)
Biotechnology (biosensors, bioremediation)

16. Remember last year? Food 202?
We spent a lot of time talking about stuff like this…

17. What’s different? How come microbes are our friends now?
Because different microbes are different 
Because some of the pathways and processes possessed by different microorganisms lend themselves to positive effects and exploitation
We have been using microbes positively in food production for 1000s of years
We are just beginning to realise the significance of our natural microbial flora in human health

18. Microbes & the Bergey’s Some are!

19. Bergey’s “THE GOOD GUYS”! MICROBIALLY SPEAKING  Some are!
Viruses (phage)

20. Gram-negative taxa Gram-positive taxa

21. Prokaryotes - Bacteria
Simple cell structure - undifferentiated
Genomic DNA is unbounded – no membrane
Proteins freely circulating in the cytoplasm
Reproduction by binary fission
By Mariana Ruiz Villarreal, LadyofHats [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

22. Eukaryotic cells Larger and more complex than a prokaryote
Examples: animals, plants, algae, fungi (including yeasts) and protozoa
High level of cellular organisation
Nucleus bound by a membrane
Plant cell. By LadyofHats [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

23. Viruses Inactive until they enter a prokaryotic or eukaryotic cell
Extensive morphological range – but always protein coat (capsid) protecting nucleic acid (DNA or RNA) core
"PhageExterior" by Adenosine - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons -

24. How are these used for our benefit?
Metabolic conversions
We eat/drink/breathe what they make
Cellular properties
We eat what they are!
Production of chemicals that mitigate pathogens
Their life cycle kills or excludes pathogens
It’s just what they do!

25. The oldest form of biotechnology
Source: Roche Applied Science, 45