Production of microbial chitinases - A revisit

Production of microbial chitinases have received increased attention in recent years due to its potential application in various fields. There has been an all around effort to increase the production of chitinases by using genetically engineered organisms and by incorporating modern fermentation techniques. This review presents a brief outline on the production of microbial chitinases which includes information on random screening and selection of chitinolytic organisms and the rationale behind the use of genetically engineered organisms. The problems and perspectives involved in large scale production of chitinases is discussed with special reference to bioreactor studies and new fermentation methods. The present limitations in the understanding of the chitinase fermentation process is also discussed and the scope for future investigation is outlined in this communication.