Microbial bioproduction

Achieve sustainable production of complex biochemicals with microorganisms

Chemical compounds have numerous applications across the food, energy, agricultural, and pharmaceutical industries. Because microorganisms are able to naturally synthesize many chemical compounds of interest through secondary metabolic pathways, they have been used throughout various industries for chemical production. Recent advancements in metabolic engineering combined with a better understanding of synthetic biology have enabled researchers to reprogram microbial species to produce target chemicals from renewable resources on an industrial scale.

DNA helix made of green and yellow puffy balls.

Biological systems design and development

Learn more about synthetic biology

Explore our microbial products for bioproduction

To support the success of your bioproduction research, ATCC provides a broad range of fully authenticated microorganisms with applications in the production of antibiotics, organic acids, biofuel, and vaccines. With nearly a century of experience in growing and preserving biological materials, you can trust that the cultures you receive are fully authenticated and of the highest quality. Explore our vast collection of fungi, bacteria, protists, and derivatives for bioproduction research below.

Pink and orange streptomyces roseosporus.

Antibiotics Production

Many of the antibiotics clinically used are produced by soil microorganisms through secondary metabolite pathways using various precursors such as amino acids, small fatty acids, and sugars. However, with the emergence and spread of multidrug resistance, new antibiotics are desperately needed. Get your therapeutic development research started with strains known to produce antibiotics, including Penicillium, Streptomyces, and Acremonium species.

Find antibiotic-producing strains

Green stem attached to a cluster of small, round, purple Aspergillus fumigatus .

Organic Acid Production

Organic acids are building-block compounds with applications in the food, chemical, plastic, and pharmaceutical industries. With the increasing role of organic acids as platform chemicals for the production of polymers, pharmaceuticals, solvents, and other materials, researchers have turned toward the microbial synthesis of these compounds via the fermentation of agricultural biomass. Support your research on sustainable organic acid production with fully authenticated microorganisms from ATCC.

Order organic acid producers

Bright green, translucent eukaryotic algal flagellates under a microscope.

Biofuel Production

Many microbial species are able to naturally generate biofuels and precursor compounds from the degradation of biomass or the photosynthetic conversion of atmospheric carbon dioxide into high-energy chemical products. To support this essential research, ATCC offers a variety of microbial strains with known biofuel production capabilities. Explore our collection of algae, bacteria, and fungi to get started.

Explore biofuel producers

Pneumococcal Vaccine Development

Carbohydrates in the form of capsular polysaccharides and lipopolysaccharides constitute a major component of the cellular surface for many bacterial species. In Streptococcus pneumoniae, capsular polysaccharides function as major virulence factors that protect the bacterium from phagocytosis by host immune cells. Because of their importance in pneumococcal pathogenicity, capsular polysaccharides have been components in a number of serotype-specific vaccines. To support vaccine development research, ATCC provides over 28 types of purified pneumococcal polysaccharides, including those represented in current vaccines.

Explore our polysaccharides