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This section includes InterviewSolutions, each offering curated multiple-choice questions to sharpen your knowledge and support exam preparation. Choose a topic below to get started.

1.

The genetic information of the Plasmid is essential to survival of the host cells.(a) True(b) FalseI had been asked this question during an interview.This interesting question is from Steps in Bioprocess Development : A Typical New Product from Recombinant DNA topic in portion Bioprocess Development of Bioprocess Engineering

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Right answer is (b) False

To explain: PLASMID is an extra chromosomal circular DNA MOLECULES which are not part of the bacterial genome but carry functions advantageous to the HOST such as produce enzymes which degrade antibiotics or heavy metals and they are used in recombinant DNA as they can REPLICATE INDEPENDENTLY of the host chromosome.

2.

Which type of fermentation was used by Engineers to produce penicillin on large scale during World War 2?(a) Semi-Solid Fermentation(b) Deep-Tank Fermentation(c) Biphasic Fermentation(d) Solid-StateFermentationI had been asked this question during an internship interview.My question is based upon The Story of Penicillin:How Biologists and Engineers Work Together in chapter Bioprocess Development of Bioprocess Engineering

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The CORRECT choice is (B) Deep-Tank Fermentation

For EXPLANATION I would SAY: The Deep-Tank BATCH Fermentation in which there is the application of submerged culture technique which was able to produce Penicillin of Approximately 50mg/ml which grew on large scale during World War 2.

3.

Which type of process is involved to produce Crystalline Potassium Penicillin?(a) Evaporation(b) Annealing(c) Decomposition(d) PrecipitationThis question was addressed to me in an international level competition.I want to ask this question from The Story of Penicillin:How Biologists and Engineers Work Together in portion Bioprocess Development of Bioprocess Engineering

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The correct option is (d) Precipitation

For EXPLANATION I would say: Potassium ions are added to precipitate salt of Penicillin, so as to get its pure form in the later STAGE and the process involved in this is SALTING out TECHNIQUE which also results in less loss of Penicillin during fermentation process.

4.

Why Penicillin does not affect the human body when taken?(a) Because it is a Broad spectrum antibiotic(b) Because it is a Narrow spectrum antibiotic(c) Because it is an analgesic(d) Because it is a Narcotic drugI had been asked this question in an interview for job.My question is taken from The Story of Penicillin:How Biologists and Engineers Work Together in division Bioprocess Development of Bioprocess Engineering

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Correct choice is (b) Because it is a NARROW spectrum antibiotic

To elaborate: PENICILLIN is the Narrow spectrum antibiotic that only kills the SPECIFIC bacteria or microorganisms and not the normal bacteria or microorganisms present in Human body, in this way human body is UNAFFECTED.

5.

Is Penicillium notatum and Penicillium chrysogenum both are same in terms of yield?(a) True(b) FalseThe question was posed to me in an interview for job.I need to ask this question from The Story of Penicillin:How Biologists and Engineers Work Together in section Bioprocess Development of Bioprocess Engineering

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Right option is (b) False

The explanation is: PENICILLIUM chrysogenum and Penicillium notatum both YIELDS Penicillin but P.notatum also yields Notatin, P.notatum which was FIRST DISCOVERED by Fleming but did not produced large amounts of penicillin in contrast to P.chrysogenum.

6.

Which biochemist along with Howard Florey and Ernst Chain, designed a lab-scale process to produce enough Penicillin for animal tests?(a) Sir Edward Penley Abraham(b) Dr. Norman George Heatley(c) Sir Alexander Fleming(d) Dr. Rudolph EmmerichThis question was posed to me in examination.Origin of the question is The Story of Penicillin:How Biologists and Engineers Work Together in section Bioprocess Development of Bioprocess Engineering

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Right OPTION is (b) Dr. NORMAN George Heatley

Explanation: Dr. Norman George Heatley was able to DEVELOP the technique for efficiently PURIFYING Penicillin in bulk for animal TESTS and by this, he invented the technique back-extraction.

7.

Which of the following comes under the Downstream Process?(a) Inoculum preparation(b) Equipment sterilization(c) Media Formulation(d) SeparationI got this question in an online interview.I need to ask this question from The Story of Penicillin:How Biologists and Engineers Work Together topic in section Bioprocess Development of Bioprocess Engineering

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The correct answer is (d) Separation

Easy explanation: Separation is the first STEP in product recovery in DOWNSTREAM processing as it involves the separation of DESIRED cells from the culture MEDIUM and which is MECHANICALLY done by Rotary Drum Filter.

8.

In 1928, Alexander Fleming was working on which type of Bacteria also named “Golden Staph”?(a) Streptococcus pneumonia(b) Staphylococcal pneumonia(c) Staphylococcus aureus(d) Streptococcus aureusThis question was addressed to me by my college director while I was bunking the class.Query is from The Story of Penicillin:How Biologists and Engineers Work Together in chapter Bioprocess Development of Bioprocess Engineering

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Right answer is (c) Staphylococcus AUREUS

For EXPLANATION: Alexander Fleming was trying to ISOLATE the bacterial STRAINS of Staphylococcus aureus, as to make an antibacterial / antibiotic against it because its INFECTION are severe and is the most antibiotic-resistant strain.

9.

Which of the following does not comes under the product of Recombinant mammalian cells?(a) Bovine somatotropin(b) Erythropoietin(c) Growth hormone(d) Tissue plasminogen activatorI have been asked this question during an interview for a job.This intriguing question originated from Steps in Bioprocess Development : A Typical New Product from Recombinant DNA topic in portion Bioprocess Development of Bioprocess Engineering

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The correct answer is (a) Bovine somatotropin

Explanation: Bovine somatotropin is the peptide hormone PRODUCED by COWS pituitary gland and is used in regulating metabolic PROCESSES and mainly comes under the animal recombinants.

10.

What is Slurry which is used in the Penicillin production process?(a) Semi – Liquid mixture(b) Solid – Liquid mixture(c) Gas – Liquid mixture(d) LiquidThis question was posed to me in my homework.The above asked question is from The Story of Penicillin:How Biologists and Engineers Work Together in division Bioprocess Development of Bioprocess Engineering

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The correct ANSWER is (a) SEMI – Liquid mixture

The best EXPLANATION: The Semi – Liquid mixture also known as “Undigested Slurry “which goes under the fermentation / ANAEROBIC process and later on comes out as byproduct of fermentation process as “Digested Slurry”.

11.

The scale-up process is preferred to which condition?(a) The migration of a process from the lab-scale to the pilot plant-scale(b) The migration of a process from the bench-scale to the lab-scale(c) The migration of a process from the small-scale to the lab-scale(d) The migration of a process from the bench-scale to the small-scaleThis question was posed to me in unit test.Asked question is from Steps in Bioprocess Development : A Typical New Product from Recombinant DNA in chapter Bioprocess Development of Bioprocess Engineering

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Correct choice is (a) The migration of a process from the lab-scale to the pilot plant-scale

Easy explanation: In scale-up process, product and process development tend to MOVE FORWARD in small steps, this reduces the risk with larger INVESTMENTS in the next STEP and production level improvement.

12.

Which process is also called product recovery?(a) Upstream processing(b) Mid-stream processing(c) Downstream processing(d) Biological processingThis question was addressed to me in semester exam.The query is from Steps in Bioprocess Development : A Typical New Product from Recombinant DNA in section Bioprocess Development of Bioprocess Engineering

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Correct option is (c) DOWNSTREAM PROCESSING

To explain: Downstream processing implies manufacture of a purified product fit for a specific use, generally in marketable QUANTITIES, it also refers to the recovery and purification of BIOSYNTHETIC products, particularly pharmaceuticals, from natural sources such as animal or plant tissue or fermentation broth, including the recycling of SALVAGEABLE components and the proper treatment and disposal of waste.

13.

What is the role of Surge tank in Penicillin production process?(a) Sterilization(b) Filtration(c) Extraction(d) EvaporationThe question was asked in an internship interview.This intriguing question originated from The Story of Penicillin:How Biologists and Engineers Work Together topic in division Bioprocess Development of Bioprocess Engineering

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14.

The bench-top bioreactor comes under which type of bioreactor?(a) Solid-state bioreactor(b) Photo bioreactors(c) Airlift bioreactors(d) Stirred tank bioreactorsI have been asked this question in an interview.I want to ask this question from Steps in Bioprocess Development : A Typical New Product from Recombinant DNA topic in portion Bioprocess Development of Bioprocess Engineering

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Correct CHOICE is (d) Stirred tank bioreactors

To elaborate: The bench-top bioreactor is a mechanically stirred tank bioreactor fitted with a sparger and a rushton turbine. And its volume varies from < 1-L to 10,000-L capacity. The air is added to the culture medium under pressure through a device called sparger. The sparger may be a ring with many holes or a TUBE with a single orifice. The sparger along with impellers (agitators) enables better gas distribution system THROUGHOUT the vessel.

15.

Which type of fermentation is preferred in bench top fermenter?(a) Batch(b) Fed-batch(c) Continuous(d) Dual or multiple-fermentationI got this question in an interview for job.The query is from Steps in Bioprocess Development : A Typical New Product from Recombinant DNA in section Bioprocess Development of Bioprocess Engineering

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Correct answer is (b) Fed-batch

For explanation: Fed-batch fermentation is superior to conventional batch fermentation when CONTROLLING CONCENTRATIONS of a nutrient (or NUTRIENTS) affect the yield or productivity of the desired metabolite. The advantage of the fed-batch fermentation is that one can control concentration of fed-substrate in the culture liquid at arbitrarily desired LEVELS.

16.

Why the shake flask is not continuously preferred?(a) Because of resistant to growth(b) Because of increase rate of contamination(c) Because of imprecise control of temperature(d) Because of unlimited stirringThe question was asked by my college professor while I was bunking the class.This is a very interesting question from Steps in Bioprocess Development : A Typical New Product from Recombinant DNA topic in chapter Bioprocess Development of Bioprocess Engineering

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Correct ANSWER is (C) Because of imprecise control of temperature

Easy explanation: Shake flasks are usually subject to media evaporative loss in WARMER culture environments, typically 10% of volume per 24 hr at 37°C. This loss changes the density of the culture and prohibits longer term operation of the system and also the temperature control is absent or LIMITED.

17.

Which of the following activity is not considered in Protein Fractionation which is routinely used in proteomic research?(a) Reduce the size of the protein pool to be analyzed(b) Remove highly expressed proteins(c) Bring Low abundant proteins into dynamic range(d) Bring High abundant proteins into dynamic rangeThe question was asked during an interview.My enquiry is from Steps in Bioprocess Development : A Typical New Product from Recombinant DNA topic in chapter Bioprocess Development of Bioprocess Engineering

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Correct ANSWER is (d) Bring HIGH abundant proteins into DYNAMIC range

Easy EXPLANATION: The low abundant proteins are preferred over high abundant proteins as the low abundant proteins prove to be informative biomarkers and enrichment of low abundant proteins has the great advantage of obtaining much larger amount of material that can be used for further fractionations and analyses.

18.

Why is Procaine used in the process of production of Penicillin?(a) Because Procaine is antibiotic in nature(b) Because Procaine is antifungal in nature(c) Because Procaine is analgesic in nature(d) Because Procaine is anti-allergic in natureThis question was posed to me during a job interview.Question is from The Story of Penicillin:How Biologists and Engineers Work Together in division Bioprocess Development of Bioprocess Engineering

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The correct option is (c) Because Procaine is ANALGESIC in NATURE

To explain: Procaine is an analgesic in nature as it is primarily used to reduce the pain of intramuscular injection of Penicillin and which is also the DERIVATIVE of cocaine probably PROVIDES the longevity to Penicillin.

19.

Which components of cell help in the manufacturing of new biological products?(a) Carbohydrates(b) Proteins(c) Lipids(d) Nucleic acidsThis question was posed to me in a job interview.My query is from Steps in Bioprocess Development : A Typical New Product from Recombinant DNA in chapter Bioprocess Development of Bioprocess Engineering

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The correct answer is (b) Proteins

The best EXPLANATION: Proteins such as enzymes play a very important role in the manufacturing of BIOLOGICAL products, they provide the quality and stability with increased product efficiency and reducing CONSUMPTION in energy, WATER and raw materials – and generating less waste.

20.

Rotary drum tank reactor comes under which type of bioreactors?(a) Mechanically agitated bioreactors(b) Air driven bioreactors/Pneumatically agitated bioreactors(c) Non-agitated bioreactors(d) Wave bioreactorsThis question was posed to me in unit test.This interesting question is from The Story of Penicillin:How Biologists and Engineers Work Together in chapter Bioprocess Development of Bioprocess Engineering

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The CORRECT answer is (a) Mechanically agitated bioreactors

To explain I would say: Rotary drum tank REACTOR COMES under Mechanically agitated bioreactors because it contains Stirrer paddle which provides efficient MIXING and also CAUSES production on a large scale.

21.

Which chemical is usually used before the Bacterial transformation process?(a) Calcium chloride(b) Potassium chloride(c) Ferric chloride(d) Sodium chlorideThe question was posed to me in an online interview.Origin of the question is Steps in Bioprocess Development : A Typical New Product from Recombinant DNA in division Bioprocess Development of Bioprocess Engineering

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The correct choice is (a) Calcium chloride

For EXPLANATION I WOULD say: Before Bacterial transformation, BACTERIA are treated with a chemical CALLED Calcium chloride, which causes water to enter into the cells and makes them swell. These swollen bacteria are then known as COMPETENT bacteria, which is further used in Bacterial transformation process.

22.

Which sort of Fermenter is used for the production of Penicillin?(a) Batch Fermenter, Fed-Batch Process(b) Fed-Batch Fermenter, Fed-Batch Process(c) Continuous Batch Fermenter , Fed-Batch Process(d) Fed-Batch Fermenter, Batch processThe question was posed to me at a job interview.Query is from The Story of Penicillin:How Biologists and Engineers Work Together topic in chapter Bioprocess Development of Bioprocess Engineering

Answer» CORRECT OPTION is (a) Batch Fermenter, Fed-Batch Process

Easy explanation: For Large production of PENICILLIN a Batch Fermenter, and a Fed-Batch Process is NORMALLY used to prolong the stationary period and so as to INCREASE the production of Penicillin and Batch is used over continuous fermenter for large scale production and fed-batch process is used to overcome its disadvantages.
23.

From the following volumes, which capacity the Pilot-scale bioreactor holds?(a) 100-1000L(b) 1000-10000L(c) 1-100L(d) less than 1LThe question was posed to me in an online quiz.My doubt stems from Steps in Bioprocess Development : A Typical New Product from Recombinant DNA topic in division Bioprocess Development of Bioprocess Engineering

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Right option is (a) 100-1000L

For explanation I would say: The Pilot-scale bioreactor vessel of capacity 100-1000L is BUILT according to SPECIFICATIONS determined from the bench-scale PROTOTYPE.