1 Media and Air Sterilization Required for Microbial Fermentation 1* Ezemba Chinyere Constance: 2 Obi Chisom Perpetua and 3 Ezemba Arinze Steve AFFLIATED INSTITUTION: 1 Department of Microbiology, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU) P.M.B 02, Uli, Anambra State, Nigeria. 2 Department of Science Laboratory and Technology,Federal Polytechnic Oko.Anambra State. 3 Department of Applied Microbiology and Brewing, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria . E-MAIL:* constancechinyere790@gmail.com Abstract Sterilization of media and air for microbial fermentation entails the removal, killing, or destruction of all forms of life, including bacteria, viruses, spores, fungi, and other microorganisms. This is critical in order to ensure the sterility of the media containing the required nutrition, the sterility of the incoming and outgoing air, as well as the sterility of the bioreactors, and the avoidance of contamination during the process. This can be accomplished through batch sterilization, in which the medium is sterilized at 121°C in batch volumes in the bioreactors, either directly or indirectly, and continuous sterilization, in which the sterilization is carried out for a short period of time (30 to 120 seconds) at 140°C. To avoid contamination of the fermentation process, proper sterilization necessitates continual and vigorous aeration of sterile air in the bioreactor. Different means, such as chemical, radiation, physical, and heat, can be used to accomplish this. Thus, the filtration method of air sterilization is the most widely employed in industries for fermentation purposes, in which air is permitted to pass through filters rather than electrically heated devices, which is relatively expensive. While the heat method of media sterilization is extensively utilized, this is due to the quality and quantity of contamination. The components of the media, as well as its pH and suspended particle sizes, are all important elements in the sterilization's success. As a result, chemical and radiation sterilizing procedures are rarely used. Key Words: Microorganisms, Sterilization, Air and Media. 1.0 Introduction Sterilization is the complete elimination or annihilation of all living microorganisms in or on an object being sterilized (vegetative cells 60 o C 5-10 minutes and spores 80 o C 15-20 minutes). To achieve a successful fermentation, you must assure the following: -Sterility of the nutrients-containing media, -Sterility of the incoming and exiting air -Sterility of the bioreactor. - Prevention of contamination during fermentation (William, 2008). Almost all fermentation methods necessitate cost-effective approaches in order to produce a culture that is free of contamination throughout the whole process, from start to finish. A bioreactor can be sterilized by eliminating all bacteria using a noxious substance such as heat, radiation, or chemical, or by physically removing the living organism using filtration.(Stanbury, 2017). Culture medium components such as water and containers contribute to microorganism contamination, whether by spores or vegetative cells, so the media must be clear of contamination before being used for fermentation. As a result, for a successful fermentation, the air must be sterile and free of all microorganisms and suspended particles (Bansod, 2021). As a result, the amount of suspended particles and microorganisms