Technological Microbiology: Development and Applications

Abstract

Over thousands of years, modernization could be predicted for the use of microorganisms in the production of foods and beverages. However, the current accelerated pace of new food production is due to the rapid incorporation of biotechnological techniques that allow the rapid identification of new molecules and microorganisms or even the genetic improvement of known species. At no other time in history have microorganisms been so present in areas such as agriculture and medicine, except as recognized villains. Currently, however, beneficial microorganisms such as plant growth promoters and phytopathogen controllers are required by various agricultural crops, and many species are being used as biofactories of important pharmacological molecules. The use of biofactories does not end there: microorganisms have been explored for the synthesis of diverse chemicals, fuel molecules, and industrial polymers, and strains environmentally important due to their biodecomposing or biosorption capacity have gained interest in research laboratories and in industrial activities. We call this new microbiology Technological Microbiology, and we believe that complex techniques, such as heterologous expression and metabolic engineering, can be increasingly incorporated into this applied science, allowing the generation of new and improved products and services.

Black soldier fly larvae (Hermetia illucens) strengthen the metabolic function of food waste biodegradation by gut microbiome

“…This unique phenomenon have revealed the biological basis of the strong metabolic function of BC and provided perspectives for future studies on investigating interactions between the gut microbiomes and the external environment based on network and invasion hypotheses. Many studies have confirmed that some insect gut bacteria possess the ability to degrade refractory substances (Li et al ., 2017a; Yang et al ., ), and many bacteria can also enhance or alter their metabolic functions through genetic engineering (Vitorino and Bessa, ; Panda et al ., ). Considering that approximately half of the raw FW dry matter remained after 10 days of BC in our study, the colonization attempts by other insect‐oriented or commercialized bacterial strains were worth further investigation.…”

Microbial Diversity: The Gap between the Estimated and the Known

“…This contemporary and applied microbiology is known as Technological Microbiology and has employed complex techniques, such as heterologous expression and metabolic engineering, to generate new products and improve products and services [202].…”

“…For example, microbial bioplastics are currently used to manufacture medical materials, including films used as drug-delivery vehicles [241] or materials used in civil construction, making construction less expensive and more efficient [242]. The prospect of discovering new microorganisms or new properties in already known microorganisms, and the possibility of modifying them through genetic engineering, or even the possibility of stimulating naturally expressed pathways to elicit the synthesis of metabolites of interest, illustrates the importance of microbial biodiversity in strengthening Technological Microbiology [202], which has greatly affected the daily lives of people by providing new products and services.…”

Production of lipolytic enzymes by bacteria isolated from biological effluent treatment systems

“…The microbial biodiversity in Brazil and the possibility of using agricultural and industrial residues as substrates, justify the search for new microorganisms producing enzymes with desirable characteristics that can be applied industrially (Vitorino andBessa 2017, Costa 2014).…”