First Semester

History of fermentation, the microbiology and biochemistry of fermentation. Types of fermentation systems: batch, fed-batch and continuous. Yeast and non-yeast fermentation. Use of microorganisms in the production of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, dairy products, vitamins, amino acids and common acids: lactic acid, acetic acid, propionic acid. Fermentation in food processing and preservation: production of indigenous fermented foods and drinks; improvement of indigenous foods through appropriate technologies. Use of modified microorganisms in fermentation processes. Environmental factors that influence fermentation: Aeration, agitation, mass transfer. Heat transfer in biological reactors. Scale up Operations. Fermentation process optimization. Bioreactors: Configuration; Operations; Sterilization; Large scale fermentation systems; Downstream processing.