By Victoria Osborne, Erwin Honcoop and Barend van de Velde, Croda Nederland BV. Microorganisms are vital to our everyday lives and the environment. They play an essential role in virtually all ecosystems, being responsible for nutrient cycling and able to survive in extreme conditions. These microbes are exploited in many processes such as fermentation in food production, water treatment processes and medicines, as a source of antibiotics and vaccines. However, many microbes are harmful and are the causative agents in many infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and pneumonia. Moulds can trigger respiratory infections and allergies if ...