Mnemonic or trick for microbe-product pairs (citric acid, acetic acid, butyric acid, cyclosporin A, statins, streptokinase)?
Siddharth RaoDropper Sample
4 Oct 2026 · 1 min read
Second attempt, and I keep dropping the same 2–3 marks in this chapter every test. Not because I don't know it, but because the options in MCQs are designed to look similar. Last week's chapter test had a match-the-column with six microbes and six products and I got three of them swapped.
What I have right now:
| Product | Microbe |
|---|---|
| Citric acid | Aspergillus niger |
| Acetic acid | Acetobacter aceti |
| Butyric acid | Clostridium butylicum |
| Lactic acid | Lactobacillus |
| Cyclosporin A | ? |
| Statins | ? |
| Streptokinase | ? |
I know Cyclosporin A is an immunosuppressant used after organ transplants, statins lower blood cholesterol, and streptokinase is a clot buster. What I can't hold in my head is the microbe for each.
Also: which of these is a fungus and which is a bacterium? My notes just say "microbe" which is useless. And can someone confirm what exactly enzymes like lipase, pectinase and protease are used for in industry? Looking for mnemonics or tricks, not just the answer. I've tried repeating the table 10 times and it doesn't stick.
7 answers & replies
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[+][–]Pooja Iyer12thSample· 16d ago
Mnemonics time!! 🎭
- Cyclosporin A = Trichoderma polysporum (a fungus). "Cyclo-sporin... sports... Trichky transplant" ok that one is weak lol. Easier: poly-sporum and cyclo-sporin both contain "spor".
- Statins = Monascus purpureus, a yeast. "Statin = Stay Monascus": the red yeast. "Purple" and "Monastery" 🟣
- Streptokinase = Streptococcus. The name is literally inside the product. (Streptokinase = Strepto-kinase).
Done. Drama over.
[+][–]Tanvi Deshmukh12thSample· 16d ago
Table time!!
Product Organism Type Citric acid Aspergillus niger fungus Acetic acid Acetobacter aceti bacterium Butyric acid Clostridium butylicum bacterium Lactic acid Lactobacillus bacterium Cyclosporin A Trichoderma polysporum fungus Statins Monascus purpureus yeast (fungus) Streptokinase Streptococcus bacterium Trick: the three bacteria that make acids have names that sound like what they do (Aceto → acetic, Lacto → lactic). Aspergillus niger is the odd one out because it's a fungus, which is the commonest trap!
[+][–]Siddharth RaoDropperSample· 15d agoAuthor
Tanvi, that table is going on my wall. And thanks Mehak for asking, I was about to make the same mistake.
[+][–]Ishita GoyalDropperSample· 16d ago
Enzymes list from NCERT:
- Lipases → used in detergent formulations, to remove oily stains
- Pectinases and proteases → clarifying bottled juices
- Streptokinase → "clot buster", used to remove clots from blood vessels of patients with myocardial infarction
- Cyclosporin A → immunosuppressive agent in organ transplants
- Statins → inhibit the enzyme responsible for synthesis of cholesterol
I put these in a "uses" flashcard rather than a "microbe" flashcard so the pairs don't blend.
[+][–]Mehak AroraDropperSample· 16d ago
Is Cyclosporin A from Aspergillus? I've been mixing it with the citric acid one, they both feel like "Aspergillus" in my head 😅
[+][–]Farhan ShaikhDropperSample· 16d ago
Mehak, no. Aspergillus niger = citric acid. Cyclosporin A = Trichoderma polysporum. I use a cheap trick: a sticky note on the wall with TWO columns only, "A. niger — citric" and "T. polysporum — cyclosporin". Both of those are fungi (Monascus for statins is the third, a yeast), so I keep them together.
[+][–]Lakshmi TripathiDropperSample· 15d ago
Extra thing that helped me. Penicillium was the first antibiotic source, I mention it only because people confuse "antibiotic" with "immunosuppressant". Penicillin kills bacteria, cyclosporin suppresses the immune system after a transplant. Different jobs.
