A biotechnology company is optimizing two different industrial processes: the production of mycoprotein (single-cell protein) using a continuous fermenter, and the production of penicillin using a batch fermenter.
Which statement correctly describes a biological or operational difference between these two processes?
In both fermenters, growth must be maintained in the lag phase to allow the microorganisms sufficient time to synthesise complex proteins and secondary metabolites.
Continuous fermentation systems are much less vulnerable to microbial contamination than batch systems because the constant throughput washes out contaminants.
Penicillin is a secondary metabolite produced primarily during the stationary phase when nutrient availability is restricted, whereas mycoprotein consists of primary biomass harvested during the exponential growth phase.
The operating temperature of both fermenters must be maintained above 50∘C50^\circ\text{C}50∘C to maximize enzyme kinetics and increase the rate of protein synthesis.
39 exam-style questions on OCR A A Level Biology Cloning and biotechnology. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.