Fermentation technology is a field which involves the use of microorganisms and enzymes for production of compounds which have application in the energy, material, pharmaceutical, chemical and food industry.
Fermentation is completed in apparatuses called fermenters which are large vessels containing the media selected, during the second stage of microbial fermentation. The design and nature of fermenters varies depending on the type of fermentation carried out and fermentation capacity required. Types of fermentation equipment include tray fermenters, packed bed column fermenters, submerged fermenters, stirred tanks fermenters, etc.
Through fermentation, microbial CDMOs, CMOs and in-house manufacturers can produce enzymes for industrial purposes. The process of fermentation includes the use of microorganisms, like yeast and bacteria for enzyme production. Mainly, there are two methods of fermentation used by different contract development & manufacturing organizations (CDMOs) for enzyme production. The first one is submerged fermentation and the second one is solid-state fermentation.
- Submerged Fermentation (SmF)
Submerged fermentation is the cultivation of microorganisms in a liquid medium. This involves growing carefully selected microorganisms (bacteria and fungi) in closed vessels (fermenters) containing a rich broth of nutrients (fermentation medium) and a high concentration of oxygen. As the microorganisms break down the nutrients, they release the desired enzymes into solution.
Submerged fermentation technology has the advantages of short period, low cost and high yield. It also provides easier purification of microbial products for commercial & clinical supply, and more control over the fermentation process altogether.
- Solid-state Fermentation (SSF)
Solid-state fermentation (SSF) is defined as a fermentation process in which microorganisms grow on solid materials in the absence of free liquid. SSF is mostly used for food processing and enzyme production using filamentous microorganisms like fungi.
The characteristics of this process, such as low risk of contamination, increased yield, utilization of low-cost substrates, processing simplicity, lower energy requirement and decreased wastewater production, have made it more attractive than submerged fermentation (SmF).