Penicillin
Biology: Cambridge International GCSE Supplement, topic 21.2.3
Penicillin
The fungus Penicillium notatum was the first source used in the production of the antibiotic penicillin. Commercial penicillin production now uses a different strain, which produces more penicillin more quickly. The process has two steps:
Fermentation
- Large vessels (fermenters) are ‘seeded’ with Penicillium and then allowed to ferment with sugars for anywhere between 120 and 200 hours.
Extraction
- Penicillin is extracted from the medium both during and at the end of fermentation.
Test yourself on Penicillin
What type of drug is penicillin?
What are the two steps in the production of penicillin?
Which of the following is not a step in penicillin production?