This course is designed to provide students with a first-hand look at the role of microbes in the production of various commercial products including enzymes, pharmaceuticals, foods, and commodity chemicals. Germany is a choice location based on its history in food fermentations and expertise in anaerobic digestion of agricultural residues. This course has been offered twice and student feedback was highly positive. 

Below is a tentative itinerary...

The program includes overnight stays in: Munich, Stuttgart, Heidelberg, Dusseldorf, and Berlin. The students will begin their visit with a trip to Weihenstephaner Brewery, the oldest brewery in the world, followed by a lecture from the Brewing and Beverage program at the Technical University of Munich. They will visit the sewage treatment plant of Munich to see how microbes are used throughout the process to breakdown our waste. In Stuttgart the students will visit a winery to be able to compare the fermentation processes for the other greatest beverage in the world, wine. We will then travel to the University of Hohenheim to learn about anaerobic digestion and how microbes are used to generate heat and power. Next to Heidelberg to visit Heidelberg Pharma to learn about cancer treatment and BRAIN biotech to see some innovative uses of microbes in biotechnology applications. The students will learn about insulin production in Frankfurt and enzyme production in Düsseldorf. Finally, we will make our way to Berlin to see how either sauerkraut or kefir are produced.