Introduction and History of Industrial Microbiology

Microorganisms are very important for human kind. They are utilized in the formation of many beneficial secondary metabolites. This chapter deals with the history of industrial microbiology. The various fermentation processes and the ability of microorganisms to ferment and convert sugars into alcohol which, started in the fourteenth century AD. This chapter also deals with the development in improving the microbial strains for higher yields of the metabolites by mutation and genetic modification. Classification of microorganisms, their taxonomy, and their basic metabolic pathway have been explained.