Varieties of microorganisms have been used for centuries in this part of the world to prepare food and beverage. Fermented foods used in Korea include kimchi, various soy sauces and soy pastes, fish sauces and, of course, the alcoholic beverages. It was not known that microbes play important roles in the preparations of fermented foods and beverages before the modern microbiology was introduced into this country in the middle of this century. People in the medical field were late to recognise the importance of microbiology, probably because the traditional herbal medicine was so strong in this country.

 

This tradition was followed in the teaching of microbiology in the universities. Up to the 1970s, microbiology in universities was a part of food science. We have three microbiological societies. The Korean Society for Microbiology has about 200 members mostly from the medical faculties, and the microbiologists from the science faculties have their own Microbiological Society of Korea, whose membership is about 700. The biggest one is the Korean Society for Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology with about 1,200 members, who have various backgrounds from food science to molecular biology.

 

I joined the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) in 1971 with a BSc degree from the Faculty of Agriculture, Kyungpook National University. KIST was founded in 1966 as a government supported integrated research institution to serve the industry. At that time Korea was one of the poorest countries in the world with a GDP per capita of about US $150. The first research topic I was involved in was the utilisation of agricultural residues. During the course of the study, a strong cellulolytic bacterium was isolated. I found myself not well trained to serve the industry which expanded rapidly with the imported technologies, and decided to pursue a higher degree.

 

Just after I arrived to Cardiff after 8 weeks of English courses in Reading in 1974, Professor David Hughes said that it was a pity for me to come to the UK to study science. I don't remember exactly what he said, but I think the reason, he meant, was that we had limitations in scientific methodology, which had been developed in the society dominated by Christianity, and an alternative had to be developed in a society with different religions like buddhism. Though this didn't make much sense to me while I was in Cardiff, this hasn't left my consciousness.

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While working in Cardiff on the bacterial cellulases with Julian Wimpenny, I acquired interests in bioenergetics, which was a fashionable area at that time. This influence made me join Greg Zeikus's lab in Madison, Wisconsin, US later. When I returned from Cardiff to KIST, I found a lot of changes in just over 3 years, in and around the lab. First of all I was promoted to senior scientist. The biotechnology group expanded its size to be an affiliated institution to KIST with the booming economy. Most of all the agricultural sector was not the industry KIST was aimed at any more. Healthcare, environment, and other high-tech areas were offered more grants. And it was decided that the agricultural residues or cellulase business was not so promising in near future.

 

I joined Greg Zeikus's lab in the University of Wisconsin, Madison for two years in 1982, to start working on anaerobes, especially the electron metabolisms of anaerobes.

 

Equipped with the experiences in Cardiff and in Madison, I started my own Applied Microbiology Laboratory as a part of Genetic Engineering Research Centre, which was an affiliated institution to KIST. As the name implies, the major part of the institute was molecular biology, and microbiology was the second largest group.

 

We started to work on clostridial fermentation to produce butanol from wastewater from food processing plants such as palm oil in collaboration with the Palm Oil Research Institute of Malaysia. We found that lactate increases butanol yield with the decrease in acetone yield. It is because acetoacetyl-CoA is used as the electron acceptor for the oxidation of lactate.

 

We moved to the control of methanogenesis of high strength wastewater supported by the local distilleries. The excess reducing equivalent can be removed by supplying electron acceptors such as sulphate or even oxygen to the first reactor of a two-stage anaerobic digestor.

 

When the Genetic Engineering Research Centre moved out of the KIST campus, KIST decided to develop its own biotechnology programme to work with the Chemical Engineering Division and Environment Research Centre. I was asked to stay behind to do the job.

 

While working with the chemical engineers we found that a strain of Desulfovibrio desulfuricans can reduce organic sulphur to hydrogen sulphide. Studies are continuing to develop a petroleum desulphurisation process using the bacterium. We are very lucky to have some engineering companies at home and abroad interested in the development.

 

During the course of studies on the petroleum desulphurisation, I wondered if we could supply electrons to the bacterial cell from an electrode, or vice versa. We are trying to develop a bioelectrochemical system which can facilitate the electron movement to and from an intact bacterial cell.

 

The Association of Distilleries came back to us asking to develop a method to control bacterial contamination in a cell-recycled continuous ethanol fermentation to produce power alcohol. We found that most of the bacteria growing at the conditions of ethanol fermentation are lactic-acid bacteria. Sulphite is converted into a sulphite radical by the action of peroxidase in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. Catalase doesn't have the activity. Because the sulphite radical is very toxic, we observed a selective killing of bacteria by treating the cell paste recycled in the system with sulphite.

 

Because we have to do whatever the government or the industry want, it is inevitable broad research interests are developed. The best way I found to keep up with various research interests is writing a book in your field. I wrote a book in Korean on microbial physiology for the post-graduate students. It was a small success. Many of the microbiology related Department adopted my book as a textbook at various levels. I was asked to revise it to be used in the term starting March 1995.

 

As labour and wages increased we were asked to reduce the number of research associates. Most of the junior members of KIST are replaced by the post-graduate students from several universities which have an agreement with KIST to train post-graduate students together. In return senior members of KIST have extra duty to give lectures in the universities.

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When you became a senior member in any area, it is an obligation to serve for the professional society. I have worked as the chairman of the executive committee of the Korean Society for Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology. At the moment I am serving the same Society as the Editor-in-Chief.

 

Anaerobic digestion is the favoured process to treat high strength industrial wastewater. Though there are many engineers in the field, we are the only group in the country working on anaerobic bacteriology. I am also working as a consultant for a couple of companies.

 

Working as a research microbiologist in a government supported research institute is frustrating in terms of science, because we have to work across various subjects instead of concentrating on one subject. But it is rewarding to know that something you have done is used in various ways in the industry. Maybe some day I will find my own microbiology to concentrate on. That microbiology might be studied in different way, Buddhist way, or through zen.

 

Environment  Research Centre
Korea Insitute  of  Science and Technology
39-1 Hawolgok-Dong
Sungpook-Ku
Seoul, 136-791
Korea

 

Tel  82-2-958-5831

Fax + 82-2-958-5805
Mail: bhkim@kistmail.kist.re.kr

 

in Cardiff 1974-1977