Fermentation is an anaerobic process that takes place naturally when an organic compound is broken down by certain enzymes. In a controlled environment, the process of growing and harvesting microorganisms is often used to produce raw material for use in research or industrial applications.
These microorganisms are often grown in large fermentors, similar to the fermentor pictured at right. This fermentor is one of several located in the Fermentation Plant of The Unversity of Georgia.
Through fermentation, microorganisms
like the yeast pictured at right, transform organic matter into a variety
of edible, healing and/or industrial products. Industrial fermentation processes
produce a variety of familiar products like wines, beers and breads. But fermentation
also produces vitamins, vaccines, antibiotics and feed additives for livestock.
Fermentation
occurs in stages that progress optimally under different physical and physiological
conditions. Because these stages and conditions are hard to gauge, experienced
operators who oversee the fermentation process must draw upon past experiences
to recognize conditions and adjust the feeding rate of raw material. This
often results in adding too much raw material, especially if the operator
has little experience with the fermentor.
(above right) Dr. Ron
Makula, director of the UGA Fermentation Plant, prepares to extract e.coli
bacteria produced in one of the facility's fermentors.
The solution is to use expert knowledge, fuzzy logic and neural network techniques to determine the fermentation phase and more precisely time the addition of raw materials. Applying automated computerized techniques to the fermentation process will improve supervision and control of the process in the future.
Through
a grant awarded by the National Science Foundation
(NSF), the long term goal of Dr.
Hamrita's research is to develop intelligent identification and control techniques
for improving fermentation efficiency and productivity.
• increased productivity
• reduced fermentation time
• enhanced product quality
• less waste in raw material added
FERMENTATION
