How bacteria are useful in industry? Write any two uses?

Bacteria are incredibly useful in industry, primarily in the food and pharmaceutical sectors for processes like fermentation and the production of vital medicines. 

Here are two major industrial uses of bacteria:

1. Food and Dairy Industry

Bacteria are essential for making many dairy products through a process called fermentation.

• Process: Specific bacteria, mainly from the Lactobacillus genus (lactic acid bacteria), are added to milk.These bacteria consume the lactose (milk sugar) and convert it into lactic acid.
• Products: The lactic acid causes the milk proteins to coagulate (thicken), which is the basis for producing curd (yogurt), buttermilk, and cheese. This process not only creates new food products but also helps in preserving them.

2. Production of Medicines and Antibiotics

Bacteria are used as tiny factories in the pharmaceutical industry to produce life-saving medicines.

• Process: Through genetic engineering, a human gene for a specific protein (like insulin) can be inserted into the DNA of bacteria such as Escherichia coli (E. coli). These modified bacteria are then grown in large fermenters, where they multiply rapidly and produce large quantities of the desired human protein.
• Products: This technology is used to produce vital medicines like insulin (for diabetes), human growth hormone, vaccines, and several antibiotics (e.g., Streptomycin is produced by the bacterium Streptomyces).