Microbial process development for fermentation based biosurfactant production

The development of fermentation processes of microbial bio products has come a long way with scientists modifying existing technologies and inventing new and more efficient methods. Surfactants especially those produced by biological systems are highly useful and unique molecules that have a variety of applications in various industries and aspects of human life. Biosurfactants are produced mainly by microorganisms of which the Pseudomonas sp was one of the first discovered to produce such molecules as a secondary metabolite. Biosurfactants are generally classified based on the charge they carry on their surfaces as anionic, cationic, amphoteric or non-ionic surfactants. They can also be classified based on their chemical structures as glycolipids, lipopeptides, oils or polymers. Production of bio surfactants can be achieved by batch, fed-batch or continuous fermentation processes but are however quite expensive. An optimization of the production parameters like the nutrient content can lead to a more efficient production and lesser cost. Varying the carbon to nitrogen content and altering some parameters like the need for oxygen or the pH can greatly affect the production of bio surfactants and lead to a better yield.