Semester One Final Examinations, 2013

CHEE1001 Principles of Biological Engineering

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School of Chemical Engineering

EXAMINATION
Semester One Final Examinations, 2013

CHEE1001 Principles of Biological Engineering

This paper is for St Lucia Campus students.
Examination Duration:

120 minutes

Reading Time:

10 minutes

For Examiner Use Only

Question

Mark

Exam Conditions:
This is a Central Examination
This is a Closed Book Examination - no materials permitted
During reading time - writing is not permitted at all
This examination paper will be released to the Library
Materials Permitted In The Exam Venue:
(No electronic aids are permitted e.g. laptops, phones)
Materials To Be Supplied To Students:
2 x 14 Page Answer Booklet
Instructions To Students:

Page 1 of 8

Total ________

Semester One Final Examinations, 2013

CHEE1001 Principles of Biological Engineering

QUESTION 1 (10 MARKS)

(a) Polysaccharide macromolecules are formed by the polymerization of many
monosaccharide subunits. Name two energy storage polysaccharides and two
common structural polysaccharides.
(2 MARKS)
(b) Lignocellulosic plant material is becoming an increasingly important feedstock for
the production of biofuels. Briefly describe the structure of the polysaccharide
cellulose within lignocellulosic material, including the nature of the glycosidic
link in cellulose.
(2 MARKS)
(c) Briefly describe the primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary structures of
proteins?
(2 MARKS)
(d) What are the two principal lipid components of biological membranes. What are
two functions of biological membranes?
(2 MARKS)
(e) Show mathematically how the cell surface area:volume ratio varies as the size of
the cell gets larger. What is one implication of this change in ratio?
(2 MARKS)

QUESTION 2 (10 MARKS)

(a) What are the main features that set prokaryotes apart from eukaryotes?
(2 MARKS)
(b) If you were to examine the detailed fine structure of organelles within a eukaryotic
cell, what type of microscopy would you use, and why?
(2 MARKS)
(c) What is the principal difference between a gram positive and gram negative
bacteria? How would you test for gram positive and gram negative bacteria, and
briefly describe how this test works.
(2 MARKS)
(d) Name four applications in biological engineering where cells are used as the
catalyst to produce the product. Name the types of cell(s) and the product in each
case.
(2 MARKS)
(e) What is the endomembrane system in a eukaryotic cell? How is it relevant when
expressing recombinant proteins in mammalian cells.
(2 MARKS)

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Semester One Final Examinations, 2013

CHEE1001 Principles of Biological Engineering

QUESTION 3 (10 MARKS)

(a) Describe the structure of DNA, including the components of DNA.
(2 MARKS)
(b) DNA replication is a key process that cells must perform prior to a cell dividing.
Briefly describe the process of DNA replication.
(4 MARKS)
(c) What is the difference between transcription and translation? Briefly describe
how these important cellular processes work.
(4 MARKS)

QUESTION 4 (10 MARKS)

Prokaryotes undergo rapid and reversible alterations in biochemical pathways that allow
them to adapt quickly to their environment and utilize the available carbon-based
substrates in an efficient manner.
Describe the metabolic processes at the level of the operon that occur in the bacteria
E.coli in the following situations, enabling the bacteria to breakdown and/or utilise a
carbon-based substrate that is a potential energy source:
(a) E.coli cultured in a bioreactor in media with components including protein
hydrolysate,, minerals, sugar (lactose) and salts.
(6 MARKS)
(b) The media is switched to a different formulation containing protein hydrolysate,
sugars (glucose and lactose), minerals and amino acids.
(4 MARKS)
QUESTION 5 (10 MARKS)
(a)

The formula for a simple enzyme-catalysed reaction is shown below:

What effect does the enzyme have on the activation energy, the equilibrium and the
speed of the biochemical reaction?
(2 MARKS)
(b) The Michaelis-Menten equation describes the velocity of an enzyme catalysed
reaction.

Page 3 of 8

Semester One Final Examinations, 2013

CHEE1001 Principles of Biological Engineering

Define each of the terms in the equation and illustrate the Michaelis-Menten
equation in a sketch.
What is the relationship between Vmax and Km?
(3 MARKS)
(c)

The following metabolic pathway shows feedback inhibition by product

isoleucine on threonine deaminase. If isoleucine is an allosteric inhibitor,
describe how isoleucine acts on the enzyme threonine deaminase.
Is this competitive or non-competitive enzyme inhibition?
(3 MARKS)

(d)

Phytase is an industrial enzyme used in the animal feed industry. Why is phytase
added to animal feed, and why does the enzyme need to be thermostable? What
would be one strategy to engineer the enzyme for thermostability?
(2 MARKS)

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Semester One Final Examinations, 2013

CHEE1001 Principles of Biological Engineering

QUESTION 6 (10 MARKS)

Genetic engineering and recombinant DNA technology have been applied in numerous
fields including research, agriculture, industrial biotechnology and medicine.
(a) Briefly outline the role of restriction enzymes and DNA ligase when cloning a
gene into a plasmid.
The restriction endonuclease TaqI recognizes the sequence TCGA and cuts it
between T and C on both strands. What sticky ends will be produced when TaqI
cuts the following sequence ?

(3 MARKS)
(b) The diagram below summarizes the use of genetic engineering and recombinant
DNA technology to produce insulin.
Explain what is occurring in each of the steps labelled 1-5 in the following
diagram:

(7 MARKS)

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Semester One Final Examinations, 2013

CHEE1001 Principles of Biological Engineering

QUESTION 7 (10 MARKS)

The following questions are related to biofuels:
(a) Give two examples of renewable biofuels.
(2 MARKS)
(b) Summarize how these two particular biofuels are produced.
(6 MARKS)
(c) Do you believe these two biofuels are examples of sustainable biofuels? Why?
(2 MARKS)

QUESTION 8 (10 MARKS)

Biodegradable plastics can be made from Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs).
(a) Explain how PHAs are synthesised?
(3 MARKS)
(b) Explain how (and in which conditions) this polymer can be degraded.
(3 MARKS)
(c) What are the potential applications of PHAs?
(4 MARKS)

QUESTION 9 (10 MARKS)

Beer is the worlds most widely consumed alcoholic beverage; it is the third-most popular
drink overall, after water and tea
(a) What are the main ingredients to make beer?
(2 MARKS)
(b) One of the yeast species used in breweries is Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The
biochemical step reactions during yeast fermentation are summarized in the
diagram below. Explain the biochemical step reactions during yeast
fermentation to make beer.
(3 MARKS)

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Semester One Final Examinations, 2013

CHEE1001 Principles of Biological Engineering

Phase I

Phase2

(c) The process flow diagram below represents the manufacturing process for beer.
Name each process and briefly describe (one or two lines) the processes
occurring in the operational unit processes numbered in the diagram.
(5 MARKS)

5
2

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Semester One Final Examinations, 2013

CHEE1001 Principles of Biological Engineering

QUESTION 10 (10 MARKS)

(a) The Monod model describes the specific cell growth rate as a function of a
single limiting substrate S (e.g glucose) and can be described by the following
equation

max S

KS + S

Define each of the terms in the equation and illustrate the Monod model in a sketch.
What is the relationship between max and Ks?
(3 MARKS)

(b) A batch culture of yeast is set up to produce Bakers yeast. Rearrange the Monod
equation to obtain an equation that describes a straight line relationship
(y=mx+b), from which max and Ks may be determined from experimental data
(i.e. a culture where and S are measured).
Sketch this straight line relationship and label the sketch.
(3 MARKS)
(c) Describe the structure of a monoclonal antibody. Briefly outline the bioprocess
for the production of the monoclonal antibody Synagis.
(2 MARKS)
(d) How are embryonic stem cells isolated, and what is the difference between an
embryonic stem cell, and iPS cell and an adult stem cell?
(2 MARKS)
END OF EXAMINATION

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