Biological machine

Introduction

Animals and plants are generally multicellular organisms, and the situation is more complicated; while the situation of microorganisms is much simpler. Therefore, the first study of microbial cells as biological machines. Microorganisms generally exist in the form of single cells or cell clusters. They are directly facing the environment in which they exist. They are biological machines in the form of cells. They can be studied as typical biological machines. The explanation of this entry is based on research on industrial biological machines (microbial biological machines, cellular machines).

Microbes and machines

(1) The relationship between industrial biological machines (microbial biological machines) and microbial cells

The purpose of industrial fermentation The real production machine of the product is the microbial cell. The microbial cell used as a strain in industry is a biological machine used to produce the corresponding target product, and it is a microbial cell with industrial production characteristics. "Biological machine" is the concept of engineering; "microbial cell" is the concept of biology. Microbial biological machines are bred from natural microbial cells, so natural microorganisms have the potential to be used as biological machines.

Condition of microbial machinery

(3) "On" state of microbial biological machinery (maintaining state)

Production The competitive ability of strains under natural conditions is generally lower than that of natural microbial species, but this deficiency can be compensated by humans controlling the environmental conditions in production based on the inherent economy of cells, so as to maintain their livelihoods and realize the production capacity of biological machines.

The production process of microbial machines

The input of organic materials—→the activation of genetic information—→the emergence of metabolic networks (enzymes and protein factors on the metabolic network)—→metabolic logistics Formation—→The output of organic products

The drive of microbial biological machinery

(2) The drive of microbial biological machinery (metabolic energySupport for life activities)

① Maintenance of an orderly state

②Regulation of the laws of cell economy

③ Life activities "Bottom Line"

"Cell Machine" and "Cell Factory"

Some people compare microbial cells to "Cell Factory", of course they have their reason; in the field of bioindustry, they put forward " "Cell machine" is mainly for:

① Emphasize the use of microbial cells as production devices

② Emphasize that microbial cells are driven by metabolic energy (living things)

③ It is easier to accept for engineering students (control of the entry and exit of matter and energy)

The use of "cell machines" may have the following disadvantages:

① Suspected of mechanical theory

In the field of bioindustry, the development of systems biology and synthetic biology has formed the concept and technology development of cell machines and cell factories. The concept of "cell machine" establishes a fermentation production model. When studying the cell economy, the concept of "cell machine" is elevated to a "cell factory" (cell economic entity). The microorganisms in the natural environment (large environment) can be called "cell factories"; the microorganisms in the production environment (small environment) can be called "cell machines" to avoid confusion.

The operating characteristics of microbial machines

(5) The operating characteristics of microbial cell machines (that is, the differences from ordinary machines) p>

① Cell machines have two operating states: "online manufacturing (cell proliferation)" and "online operation (production of target products)". The working mode built for cell machines is the "online operation" phase.

② The cell machine has its own engine (the self-contained energy conversion mechanism converts chemical energy or light energy into metabolic energy used to directly drive its own operation), so it is the prime mover.

③ The operation of cellular machinery is the process of autonomous metabolism in the environment where cells follow the laws of biology (life activities centered on cell economy).

④ Cellular machines can complete the whole process from organic raw materials to organic products (target products).

⑤ The constituent materials and other parts of the cellular machinery are in constant self-renewal.