In industrial microbiology, which microorganism is classically used for the commercial production of the antibiotic streptomycin?

Introduction / Context:
Streptomycin is a landmark aminoglycoside antibiotic discovered in the 1940s that transformed the treatment of tuberculosis and many Gram-negative infections. In bioprocess and pharmaceutical microbiology, knowing the canonical producing organism is essential for understanding historical strain development, pathway engineering, and industrial fermentation practices.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The task asks for the organism used for the production of streptomycin.
• Options list several species from the genus Streptomyces, each known to produce different antibiotics.
• We assume standard historical and industrial references are in scope.

Concept / Approach:
The correct producer of streptomycin is Streptomyces griseus. Other Streptomyces species are renowned producers of different antibiotics (for example, S. rimosus for oxytetracycline, S. aureofaciens for chlortetracycline, and S. erythreus—now Saccharopolyspora erythraea—for erythromycin). Distinguishing these avoided mix-ups in early fermentation programs and still matters in QA/QC and strain selection today.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
Historical accounts of Waksman’s lab and standard bioprocess textbooks consistently name S. griseus as the original and industrially refined producer of streptomycin; modern processes may use improved mutants, but the species attribution remains the same.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Streptomyces rimosus: producer of oxytetracycline, not streptomycin.
• Streptomyces aureofaciens: producer of chlortetracycline.
• Streptomyces erythreus (Saccharopolyspora erythraea): producer of erythromycin.
• “None of these” contradicts well-established data.

Common Pitfalls:
Confusing closely related Streptomyces species due to overlapping discovery eras; assuming any Streptomyces species can produce all common antibiotics; not recognizing taxonomic revisions (for example, erythreus → Saccharopolyspora).

Final Answer:
Streptomyces griseus