Beneficial microbes and their applications

1. Production of dairy products:

Bacteria help in fermentation which helps in making different forms of dairy products from milk like
curd, buttermilk, butter, cheese. Micro-organisms such as Lactobacillus and others commonly
called lactic acid bacteria (LAB) grow in milk and convert it to curd.
Cheese, is one of the oldest food items in which microbes were used. Different varieties of
cheese are known by their characteristic texture, flavour and taste, the specificity coming from
the microbes used. For example, the large holes in ‘Swiss cheese’ are due to production of a
large amount of CO2 by a bacterium named Propionibacterium sharmanii. The ‘Roquefort
cheese’ are ripened by growing a specific fungi on them, which gives them a particular flavour.
Probiotics are also prepared

2. Bread Baking and food additives:

The dough, which is used for making bread, is fermented using baker’s yeast (Saccharomyces
cerevisiae). Amino acids such as Lysine and Glutamic acid are used in the food industry as
nutritional supplements in bread products and as flavor enhancing compounds such
as Monosodium Glutamate (MSG). Amino acids are generally synthesized as primary
metabolites by microbes during their growth.

3. Probiotics
Probiotics are defined as live microorganisms, which when administered in adequate amounts, confer a
health benefit on the host. Health benefits have mainly been demonstrated for specific probiotic
strains of the following genera: 
Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Saccharomyces, Enterococcus, Streptococcus, Pediococcus,
Leuconostoc, Bacillus, Escherichia coli.

4. Beverages and Alcoholic Drinks:

Alcoholic drinks are prepared or manufactured by the process of fermentation. Each drink is derived
from a different starting product such as potato and grapes. Then it is fermented, distilled and
alcohol is prepared. The commonly used microorganism here is yeast. Some even use bacteria and
fungus. For example, the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae (commonly called Brewer’s Yeast) is
used for fermenting malted cereals and fruit juices to produce ethanol.
5. Organic acids, Enzymes and other Bioactive Molecules
Microbes are also used for commercial and industrial production of certain chemicals like
organic acids, alcohols and enzymes. Organic acids are commercially prepared using fungi.
Acetobacter, Rhizopus, Penicillium are a few fungi that are used to ferment substrates such as fruits
and sugar-containing syrups. Examples of acids that are derived and manufactured on a large scale
using fungi are acetic acid, citric acid, gluconic acid, fumaric acid and lactic acid. Various acid
producers are Aspergillus niger (a fungus) of citric acid, Acetobacter aceti (a bacterium) of
acetic acid; Clostridium butylicum (a bacterium) of butyric acid and Lactobacillus (a bacterium)
of lactic acid. Yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) is used for commercial production of ethanol.
Microbes are also used for production of enzymes. Lipases are used in detergent formulations
and are helpful in removing oily stains from the laundry. You must have noticed that bottled fruit
juices bought from the market are clearer as compared to those made at home. This is because
the bottled juices are clarified by the use of pectinases and proteases.
Streptokinase produced by the bacterium Streptococcus and modified by genetic engineering is
used as a ‘clot buster’ for removing clots from the blood vessels of patients who have undergone
myocardial infaction leading to heart attack.
Another bioactive molecule, cyclosporin A, that is used as an immunosuppressive agent in
organ-transplant patients, is produced by the fungus Trichoderma polysporum.

6. Vitamins

Microbes are capable of synthesizing the vitamins and hence they can be successfully used
for the commercial production of many of the vitamins e.g. thiamine, riboflavin,
pyridoxine, folic acid, pantothenic acid, biotin, vitamin b12, ascorbic acid, beta-carotene
(pro-vitamin A), ergosterol (provitamin D).

7. Sewage treatment:
Not only are microorganisms helpful to our body, they are also helpful to the environment. They
help in the secondary treatment stage of sewage treatment. Before disposal, sewage is treated in
sewage treatment plants (STPs) to make it less polluting.
Treatment of waste water is done by the heterotrophic microbes naturally present in the sewage.
This treatment is carried out in two stages:
Primary treatment: These treatment steps basically involve physical removal of particles –
large and small – from the sewage through filtration and sedimentation. These are removed in
stages; initially, floating debris is removed by sequential filtration. Then the grit (soil and small
pebbles) are removed by sedimentation. All solids that settle form the primary sludge, and the
supernatant forms the effluent. The effluent from the primary settling tank is taken for secondary
treatment.
Secondary treatment or Biological treatment: The primary effluent is passed into large
aeration tanks where it is constantly agitated mechanically and air is pumped into it. This allows
vigorous growth of useful aerobic microbes into flocs (masses of bacteria associated with fungal
filaments to form mesh like structures). While growing, these microbes consume the major part
of the organic matter in the effluent. This significantly reduces the BOD (biochemical oxygen
demand) of the effluent. BOD refers to the amount of the oxygen that would be consumed if all
the organic matter in one liter of water were oxidised by bacteria. The sewage water is treated till
the BOD is reduced. The BOD test measures the rate of uptake of oxygen by micro-organisms in
a sample of water and thus, indirectly, BOD is a measure of the organic matter present in the
water. The greater the BOD of waste water, more is its polluting potential. Once the BOD of
sewage or waste water is reduced significantly, the effluent is then passed into a settling tank
where the bacterial ‘flocs’ are allowed to sediment. This sediment is called activated sludge. A
small part of the activated sludge is pumped back into the aeration tank to serve as the inoculum.
The remaining major part of the sludge is pumped into large tanks called anaerobic sludge
digesters. Here, other kinds of bacteria, which grow anaerobically, digest the bacteria and the
fungi in the sludge. During this digestion, bacteria produce a mixture of gases such as methane,
hydrogen sulphide and carbon dioxide. These gases form biogas and can be used as source of
energy as it is inflammable.
8. Biogas production
Biogas is a mixture of gases (containing predominantly methane) produced by the microbial
activity and which may be used as fuel. Microbes produce different types of gaseous end-
products during growth and metabolism. The type of the gas produced depends upon the
microbes and the organic substrates they utilise. In the examples cited in relation to fermentation
of dough, cheese making and production of beverages, the main gas produced was CO2..
However, certain bacteria, which grow anaerobically on cellulosic material, produce large
amount of methane along with CO2 and H2. These bacteria are collectively called methanogens,
and one such common bacterium is Methanobacterium.
These bacteria are commonly found in the anaerobic sludge during sewage treatment. These
bacteria are also present in the rumen (a part of stomach) of cattle. A lot of cellulosic material
present in the food of cattle is also present in the rumen. In rumen, these bacteria help in the
breakdown of cellulose and play an important role in the nutrition of cattle. Thus, the excreta
(dung) of cattle, commonly called gobar, is rich in these bacteria. Dung can be used for
generation of biogas, commonly called gobar gas.

9. Biocontrol agents
Biocontrol refers to the use of biological methods for controlling plant diseases and pests. In
modern society, these problems have been tackled increasingly by the use of chemicals – by use
of insecticides and pesticides. These chemicals are toxic and extremely harmful, to human beings
and animals alike, and have been polluting our environment (soil, ground water), fruits,
vegetables and crop plants. Our soil is also polluted through our use of weedicides to remove
weeds.
An example of microbial biocontrol agents that can be introduced in order to control
butterfly caterpillars is the bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis (often written as Bt ). These are
available in sachets as dried spores which are mixed with water and sprayed onto vulnerable
plants such as brassicas and fruit trees, where these are eaten by the insect larvae. In the gut of
the larvae, the toxin is released and the larvae get killed. The bacterial disease will kill the
caterpillars, but leave other insects unharmed. Because of the development of methods of genetic
engineering
in the last decade or so, the scientists have introduced B. thuringiensis toxin genes into plants.
Such plants are resistant to attack by insect pests. Bt-cotton is one such example.
A biological control being developed for use in the treatment of plant disease is the fungus
Trichoderma. Trichoderma species are free-living fungi that are very common in the root
ecosystems. They are effective biocontrol agents of several plant pathogens.
Baculoviruses are pathogens that attack insects and other arthropods. These viruses are excellent
candidates for species-specific, narrow spectrum insecticidal applications. They have been
shown to have no negative impacts on plants, mammals, birds, fish or even on non-target insects.

10. Biofertilisers
Biofertilisers are organisms that enrich the nutrient quality of the soil. The main sources of
biofertilisers are bacteria, fungi and cyanobacteria. The nodules on the roots of leguminous
plants are formed by the symbiotic association of Rhizobium. These bacteria fix atmospheric
nitrogen into organic forms, which is used by the plant as nutrient. Other bacteria can fix
atmospheric nitrogen while free-living in the soil (examples Azospirillum and Azotobacter), thus
enriching the nitrogen content of the soil.
 Fungi are also known to form symbiotic associations with plants (mycorrhiza). Many members
of the genus Glomus form mycorrhiza. The fungal symbiont in these associations absorbs
phosphorus from soil and passes it to the plant. Plants having such associations show other
benefits also, such as resistance to root-borne pathogens, tolerance to salinity and drought, and
an overall increase in plant growth and development.
Cyanobacteria are autotrophic microbes widely distributed in aquatic and terrestrial
environments many of which can fix atmospheric nitrogen, e.g. Anabaena, Nostoc, Oscillatoria,
etc.

12. Production of antibiotics

Penicillin was the first antibiotic to be discovered by Alexander Fleming. While working on
Staphylococci bacteria, hee observed a mould growing in one of his unwashed culture plates
around which Staphylococci could not grow. He found out that it was due to a chemical
produced by the mould and he named it Penicillin after the mould Penicillium notatum.
However, its full potential as an effective antibiotic was established much later by Ernest Chain
and Howard Florey. This antibiotic was extensively used to treat American soldiers wounded in
World War II. Fleming, Chain and Florey were awarded the Nobel Prize in 1945, for this
discovery.
Antibiotics have greatly improved our capacity to treat deadly diseases such as plague, whooping
cough (kali khansi ), diphtheria (gal ghotu) and leprosy (kusht rog), which used to kill millions
all over the globe.

Examples of some useful and harmful microbes

Type Useful microorganisms Harmful microorganisms

Bacteria Lactobacillus (curd bacteria) Salmonella typhi (causes typhoid)

Penicillium notatum (to make

Fungi Trichophyton rubrum (Athlete's foot)
antibiotics)

Anabaena (biological nitrogen blue-green algae and red tides (produce

Algae
fixation) toxins)

Protozoa Paramecium (kills harmful bacteria) Plasmodium (malaria fever)

Virus polio, chicken pox (to make vaccines) HIV (causes AIDS)
Harmful effects of microorganisms

Except for genetic and congenital factors, most of the diseases are caused by certain
microorganisms. These microbes are called pathogens. They are specially adapted to infect and
multiply within a host. Some diseases caused by pathogens are polio, cholera, mumps, rabies,
malaria etc.
Some microorganisms need a carrier to transmit diseases. Here, Anopheles  mosquitoes are the
carriers used by the protozoan Plasmodium vivax  to transmit the disease to the host. Once inside
the host, the Plasmodium starts destroying red blood cells. This leads to other complications such
as anaemia and hypoxemia.
Other microbes directly enter the body through contaminated food, water, air or even just a
small cut on your skin. The bacteria, A Streptococcus can enter your skin through an open
wound. However, this bacteria is found in most people’s throat and are relatively harmless. But
sometimes, the infection can be so severe that it can start eating living flesh and tissue. That’s
why it’s also called “Flesh-eating bacteria” or “Necrotizing fasciitis.”
Most of the pathogenic diseases are communicable and infectious. Once pathogens enter the host
body, they utilize the host nutrients; also invade the immune system of the host. These led to the
discovery and development of antibiotics and vaccines.
Microorganisms are specific to their host. Some diseases affect only animals like Anthrax but
they can be transmitted to human also. Some diseases like Crown gall disease infect plants by
certain bacteria and viruses. The diseases affecting animals and plants can decrease the quality
and yield of the product and may lead to investment loss. Therefore it is necessary to control
microbial growth.
Harmful microorganisms not only damage the human body but also the food we eat. Sometimes,
they multiply on food and release toxic products hence cause food poisoning. To avoid food
poisoning, food preservation is done in various ways like pasteurization, salting, boiling etc.

Various diseases caused by microbes

Bacteria: Causes various diseases such as typhoid, diarrhea, and cholera.
Fungi: Causes a large number of diseases in plants and in animals such as rust diseases in plants,
fruit rot in apple, red rot in sugar cane and ring worm disease in human beings.
Algae: Algal boom in water (rapid growth of algae) causes poisonous effect after they die, which
in turn results in the death of aquatic organisms.
Protozoa: Causes Amoebic dysentery, pyorrhoea and sleeping sickness etc.
Virus: Cause small fox, common cold, influenza, herpes, hepatitis, polio and rabies