In which of the following circumstances would it be most appropriate to optimize temperature conditions for microbial growth?

• A. Sterilizing surgical instruments
• B. Disinfecting hospital surfaces
• C. Preserving food by refrigeration
• D. Industrial fermentation to produce antibiotics

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the context of microbial growth and temperature. Microorganisms have optimal temperature ranges where their growth rate is maximized. Outside this range, growth slows or stops, and extreme temperatures can kill microbes.
2. Step 2: Analyze each option in terms of microbial growth goals. For sterilizing surgical instruments and disinfecting hospital surfaces, the goal is to kill or remove microbes, so optimizing temperature for growth is not relevant.
3. Step 3: For preserving food by refrigeration, the goal is to slow down microbial growth by lowering temperature, not to optimize it for growth.
4. Step 4: In industrial fermentation to produce antibiotics, microbes are intentionally grown to produce desired products. Here, optimizing temperature conditions is crucial to maximize microbial growth and product yield.
5. Step 5: Conclude that optimizing temperature for microbial growth is most appropriate in industrial fermentation processes, where controlled growth leads to beneficial outcomes like antibiotic production.