IIT Madras is a public technical and research university located in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Founded in 1959, it is recognised as an Institute of National Importance.

IIT Madras has been ranked as the top engineering institute in India for four years in a row by the National Institutional Ranking Framework of the MHRD

It currently offers undergraduate, postgraduate and research degrees across 16 disciplines in Engineering, Sciences, Humanities and Management. About 596 faculty belonging to science and engineering departments and centres of the Institute are engaged in teaching, research and industrial consultancy.

IIT Madras

Morphological studies have been considered very important in fungal fermentation. Morphological parameters and the type of mycelia present (free mycelia without any branches, branched mycelia and branched mycelia with conidiophore) were measured to correlate citric acid production with the morphology of Aspergillus niger. We observed that morphological parameters and the type of mycelia present varied with substrate concentration. They also depended on the type of substrate (molasses and glucose) used. Maximum citric acid (6.8 kg/m3) was produced when branched mycelia with conidiophore were the most available mycelia present in the broth of molasses containing medium. Citric acid was produced in lesser quantity (1.82 kg/m3) when glucose was used. The addition of methanol doubled citric acid production, increased slightly the percentage of branched mycelia with conidiophore and conditioned the surface of the mycelia.

World University root node

Department Of Chemical Engineering

Iranian Journal of Science and Technology, Transaction B: Technology

The relationship between citric acid production and the morphology of Aspergillus niger during fermentation

Griseofulvin is an antifungal antibiotic used to treat various pathogenic mycotic diseases of animals and plants. Various analytical techniques for the determination of griseofulvin in pure form, in different chemical mixtures, in biological fluids and in fermentation samples are described in this review. The present communication reviews the use of spectrophotometry, spectrofluorimetry, paper chromatography, thin layer chromatography, gas chromatography, high performance liquid chromatography and microbiological assay for the estimation of griseofulvin.

Bioprocess Engineering

Analytical techniques for griseofulvin

Monoclonal antibodies are monospecific antibodies. They are generated also by hybridoma technology. They are useful in target specific therapy against dangerous diseases. This property of monoclonal antibody offers us a new hope to combat deadly diseases where chemotherapy fails to produce specific treatment without adverse effects. This review article deals with the use of monoclonal antibodies specific against tumors and viral infections.

GENERAL

Monoclonal antibodies specific against tumors and viral infections

Filamentous fungi comprise an industrially very important collection of microorganisms, since they are used for the production of a wide variety of products ranging from primary metabolites to secondary metabolites and further on to industrial enzymes (such as proteases, lipases and antibiotics). It is known that fungal morphology is often considered as one of the key parameters in industrial production. For the production of fungal metabolite products, the desired morphology varies from one product to another. Many parameters affect the morphology of fungi during the process of fermentation, among them speed of agitation, specific growth rate, dissolved oxygen, number of spores or conidia per liter of fermentation broth are important and should be considered when higher yield is desired in the process. It is, therefore, of considerable importance to understand the mechanism underlying the morphology of the cell, its growth and product formation by filamentous fungi. Such knowledge may be used in the optimization of the microbial process. Several literatures with various fungi to study their morphology, relating enzyme or product production to the character of the fungi in the study is reviewed. It is also considered that how the process parameters affects the morphology. The aim of this communication is to review the relevant literature to understand the morphology of filamentous fungi.

Understanding the morphology of fungi

Extractive fermentation in aqueous two-phase systems is a meaningful approach to overcome low product yield in a conventional fermentation process, and by proper design of the two-phase system it is possible to obtain the product in a cell-free stream. The characteristics of an aqueous two-phase system, various polymers used for forming an aqueous two-phase system, the physicochemical parameters of the aqueous two-phase system, partitioning of biomolecules and cell mass and the effect of individual phase forming polymers on cell growth and product formation are reviewed in this article. The various extractive fermentation processes are also summarised here. At the end, the economic viability and scope of aqueous two-phase fermentation are briefly discussed in relation to the wider application of this topic.

Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology

Aqueous two-phase: The system of choice for extractive fermentation

Rotating simplex method of optimization has been successfully used to determine the optimal conditions for extracellular pectinase production by Aspergillus niger in batch bioreactor. Maximum production of 1.132 U of polymethylgalacturonase, 1.313 U of polygalacturonase and 0.0091 U of pectinlyase was obtained at pH (controlled). 3.38; agitation rate, 483 rpm and aeration rate, 2.12 vvm. These conditions were found to be more suitable for pectinase production.

Rotating simplex method of optimization of physical parameters for higher production of extracellular pectinases in bioreactor

Chitinases help degradation of cell walls containing chitin and thus accelerates protoplast formation. It indirectly helps strain improvement and development of new strains which are economically viable for industrial use. Chitinases consist of endochitinase, exochitinase, β-N-acetylglucosaminidases and chitobiases. The endochitinases can be further characterized for better understanding of mechanism of the enzyme reaction. This review covers the recent advances in isolation and characterization of endochitinases and its components, gene encoding sequences and cloning.

Characterization and applications of chitinases from Trichoderma harzianum - A review

Vancomycin belongs to the vancomycin-ristocetin family of glycopeptides, and is a subclass of linear sugar containing peptides composed of seven amino acids. Its stereochemical configuration forms the basis of a particular mode of action, though its complexation with the D-alanyl-D-alanine terminus of peptidoglycon monomer. The glycosylated hexapeptide chain consists of chloro-β-hydroxytyrosines, p-hydroxyphenylglycines, N-methylleucine and aspartic acid forms a rigid molecular frame work and gives the difficulty in the analysis. Vancomycin in the serum samples is usually estimated by liquid chromatography and the bacterial sensitivity was genereally tested by the microbiological assay. The present review deals with the qualitative, quantitative, microbiological and immunological assays and the comparison of the quantitative methods. Clinical implications of vancomycin have also been cited in the review.

Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering

Analytical techniques for vancomycin - A review

Production of microbial chitinases have received increased attention in recent years due to its potential application in various fields. There has been an all around effort to increase the production of chitinases by using genetically engineered organisms and by incorporating modern fermentation techniques. This review presents a brief outline on the production of microbial chitinases which includes information on random screening and selection of chitinolytic organisms and the rationale behind the use of genetically engineered organisms. The problems and perspectives involved in large scale production of chitinases is discussed with special reference to bioreactor studies and new fermentation methods. The present limitations in the understanding of the chitinase fermentation process is also discussed and the scope for future investigation is outlined in this communication.

Production of microbial chitinases - A revisit

Citric acid production by Aspergillus niger NCIM 548 and Candida lipolytica NCIM 3472 has been studied in shake culture using glucose and molasses as carbon sources. Methanol addition (3% v/v) at 40 h of fermentation enhanced the production of citric acid by Aspergillus niger whereas a reduction in citric acid production by Candida lipolytica was observed with addition of methanol. Maximum citric acid concentration of 12 kg/m3 was obtained with Aspergillus niger using molasses in the presence of methanol, while maximum citric acid concentration of 8.4 kg/m3 was obtained with Candida lipolytica using glucose without methanol. It appears that product formation by Aspergillus niger is either non-growth associated or partially growth associated depending on the substrate. Methanol addition changes the nature of product formation in case of Candida lipolytica.

Comparative studies on citric acid production by Aspergillus niger and Candida lipolytica using molasses and glucose

The chitinase fermentation process utilizing chitin as the sole carbon source was investigated in a stirred tank bioreactor. Agitator speed of 224 rpm was found to be most suitable for cell growth as well as for chitinase production. Chitinase yield decreased rapidly at higher agitator speed, while decrease in cell yield at higher agitator speed was not rapid. Probably, mass transfer limitation was predominant in the fermentation process at lower agitator speed. Higher agitator speed appears to reduce chitinase production.

Biochemical Engineering Journal

Submerged culture production of chitinase by Trichoderma harzianum in stirred tank bioreactors - The influence of agitator speed

Protoplast fusion is a non-specific recombination technique used for transfer of cytosolic organelles including genetic material. The process involves cell wall breakdown, regeneration of protoplasts, chemofusion and electrofusion. This review article discusses all the stages involved in fusion of protoplasts and some of the applications of protoplast fusion technique in fungal systems.

Fungal protoplast fusion - A revisit

(R)-β-acetylmercaptoisobutyric acid (RAM), a chiral compound, is an important intermediate for the chemical synthesis of various antihypertensive and congestive heart failure drugs. Microorganisms capable of converting (R,S)-β-acetylmercaptoisobutyric acid ((R,S)-ester) to RAM were screened from soil microorganisms. A strain of Pseudomonas sp. 1001 screened from a soil sample was selected to be the best. Cells showed an activity of 540 U/mL from culture broth and the enzyme was thermostable up to 70°C. This strain could produce RAM asymmetrically from (R,S)-ester.

Screening of microorganisms producing esterase for the production of (R)-β-acetylmercaptoisobutyric acid from methyl (R,S)-β- acetylmercaptoisobutyrate

Central composite design was used to determine the optimal levels of microbiological parameters, viz., slant age, seed age and inoculum level, for enhanced griseofulvin production by Penicillium griseofulvum MTCC 1898 and Penicillium griseofulvum MTCC 2004 in shake flask fermentation. The optimal levels of slant age, seed age and inoculum level for Penicillium griseofulvum MTCC 1898 were found to be 8.8772 days, 4.2093 days, 12% (v/v) (≡17.56 kg dry cell mass/m3) and for Penicillium griseofulvum MTCC 2004, 8.221 days, 3.4875 days and 9% (v/v) (≡8.09 kg dry cell mass/m3) respectively. The yield of griseofulvin under optimal conditions was found to be 1.65 times for Penicillium griseofulvum MTCC 1898 and 1.07 times for Penicillium griseofulvum MTCC 2004 higher than that obtained using unoptimized conditions. The fermentation time for maximum production of griseofulvin by Penicillium griseofulvum MTCC 1898 and Penicillium griseofulvum MTCC 2004 decreased by 4 days and 2 days respectively.

Optimization of microbiological parameters for enhanced griseofulvin production using response surface methodology

Human placenta is a rich source of many biological products. It is an economical source as it is easily available as a hospital waste. The products obtained from human placenta include enzymes, genetic material, cellular proteins and antibodies. Some classes of enzymes which are not available after parturition or which cannot be obtained from the human body can be obtained from placenta. This article reviews various placental products including their extraction and purification.

Value based products from human placenta

The reaction conditions were optimized for enzymatic hydrolysis of pectic substances using pectolytic enzymes produced by Aspergillus niger NCIM 548. Response surface methodology was used to optimize the reaction parameters and the central composite design was employed for this purpose. Pectin was used as the substrate for polymethylgalacturonase and pectinlyase, whereas polygalacturonic acid was the substrate for polygalacturonase. The volume ratio of reactants for maximum hydrolysis was determined under the assay conditions. The optimum amount of substrate and enzyme were found to be 0.2 cm3 and 0.074 cm3 for polymethylgalacturonase, 0.4 cm3 and 0.086 cm3 for polygalacturonase, and 0.63 cm3 and 0.7 cm3 for pectinlyase. The pH and temperature optima were found to be 5.3 and 30°C for polymethylgalacturonase, 6.6 and 26°C for polygalacturonase, and 4.8 and 35°C for pectinlyase. Under optimized conditions the enzyme activities were higher when compared to unoptimized conditions. Copyright (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Inc.The reaction conditions were optimized for enzymatic hydrolysis of pectic substances using pectolytic enzymes produced by Aspergillus niger NCIM 548. Response surface methodology was used to optimize the reaction parameters and the central composite design was employed for this purpose. Pectin was used as the substrate for polymethylgalacturonase and pectinlyase, whereas polygalacturonic acid was the substrate for polygalacturonase. The volume ratio of reactants for maximum hydrolysis was determined under the assay conditions. The optimum amount of substrate and enzyme were found to be 0.2 cm3 and 0.074 cm3 for polymethylgalacturonase, 0.4 cm3 and 0.086 cm3 for polygalacturonase, and 0.63 cm3 and 0.7 cm3 for pectinlyase. The pH and temperature optima were found to be 5.3 and 30°C for polymethylgalacturonase, 6.6 and 26°C for polygalacturonase, and 4.8 and 35°C for pectinlyase. Under optimized conditions the enzyme activities were higher when compared to unoptimized conditions.

Enzyme and Microbial Technology

Performance of pectolytic enzymes during hydrolysis of pectic substances under assay conditions: A statistical approach

Chitin, a homopolymer of N-acetylglucosamine, is obtained from a variety of sources. They form the structural component of fungal cell wall and plants. They are commercially obtained from shrimp and crab shell waste from the fishing industry. Recent advances in understanding the structure and properties of chitin and its derivatives has opened a lot of new avenues for its applications. Improvements in the properties of chitin for a particular application can be easily brought about by chemical modifications. The applicability of chitin in many areas and its easy manipulation has resulted in a considerable amount of research being done on the possible applications of chitinase.

Studies on applications of chitin and its derivatives

Hydrolysis of pectic substances by pectinases were carried out under process conditions. Polymethylgalacturonase, polygalacturonase and pectinlyase are three enzymes studies in this regard. Pectin is used as the substrate for polymethylgalacturonase and pectinlyase whereas polygalacturonic acid was used as the substrate for polygalacturonase. The initial concentration was varied between 1.0 and 5.0 kg/m3 for polymethylgalacturonase and polygalacturonase and between 4.0 and 8.0 kg/m3 for pectinylase. Hydrolysis experiments were carried out by varying initial substrate to enzyme ratio and reducing groups formed are measured. The behaviour of pectinases during hydrolysis are studied from the plot of (reducing groups formed)/initial substrate vs. initial substrate to enzyme ratio. This study is helpful in predicting the amount of substrate and enzyme required to produce the required amount of reducing groups within a stipulated time.

Behaviour of pectinases under process conditions

The effect of initial glucose concentration on β-1, 3-glucanase production by Trichoderma harzianum NCIM 1185 and cell growth was studied in a batch stirred tank bioreactor. The initial glucose level was varied between 5 g/dm3 and 100 g/dm3. A maximum β-1,3-glucanase production of 0.820 U was obtained using the fully optimized medium which had an initial glucose level of 8.63 g/dm3 and thereafter there was a steady decrease in β-1,3-glucanase production. No β-1,3-glucanase production was observed beyond initial glucose concentrations of 40 g/dm3 which suggests a possible catabolic repression on the enzyme synthesis. The inhibitory effect of increased initial glucose concentrations on cell growth has been studied and the Luong and the Han-Levenspiel models were used to explain the mechanism of inhibition.

Effect of glucose level on the batch production of β-1,3-glucanase by Trichoderma harzianum and cell growth

Enzymes are deactivated by different ways to an inactive state, which is a major constraint in the development of biotechnological processes. Understanding the complex process of enzyme deactivation will be helpful in enhancing the feasibility of many biological processes. This paper mainly deals with the different ways by which enzymes are inactivated, which includes the role of thermodynamics in deactivation. Different models namely, unified deactivation theory, single exponential model, rapid equilibrium model, isozyme model and bacterial contamination model used to describe the complex deactivation processes are also discussed in this communication. The complete understanding of deactivation process is very essential in commercialization because enzyme activity and stability of the enzyme play a critical role in economics of biotechnological processes. Activity and stability of the enzyme are conflicting properties and trade-off between these factors must be considered in the selection and design of enzymes.