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A new BOD analyzer
Process Biochemistv
2X (1993) 553-554
Patent Survey This is a regular series ofarticles covering a selection of recent patenfs and patent applications fromn Europe, the USA and Japan. Though many pantent applications and patents on biotechnological processes have been published in Western Europe, USA and Japan during the last few months, the following are deemed to earn particular attention. Haloalkaliphilic
microorganisms
(World patent application 9.3 09219, GistBrocades, De&, The Netherland.7) The British researchers Jones and Grant have isolated haloalkaliphiiic microorganisms from samples of soil, water and sediments, etc. They analyzed thcsc microorganisms following the principles of numerical taxonomy with respect to each other; as well as to other known haloalkaliphilic bacteria. In addition, the bacteria were further circumscribed by chemotaxonomic analysis. The bacteria produce various alkali and salt-tolerant enzymes which may be used in industrial processes requiring enzymatic activity in a high pH saline environment. Halophilic bacteria are defined as microorganisms that grow optimally in the presence of salt (sodium chloride). Since microorganisms arc often capable of growth over a wide range of salt concentrations, the term halophile is usually reserved for microorganisms having a minimum requirement in excess of the concentration found in sea water (approx. 0.5 M or 3”/0). Extremely halophilic bacteria are defined as bacteria that grow optimally at above 20% NaCl (3-4 M). Extrcmc halophiles inhabit hypersaline environments. The most intensely studied extremely halophilic bacteria belong to the order Halobacteriales. With the exception of the genera Natronobacrerium and Natronoccus. all known Halobacteria are obligate halophiles which require at least 12- 15% salt for growth and pH around neutrality. These bacteria belong to the Euryarchaeta of the Domain Archaca (the archaeobacteria) (Woese, C.R., et al., Proc. Natl. Acac. Sci. USA, 87 (1990), 4576-9). Process Biochemistry
032-9592/93/$6.00
Jones and Grant isolated several hundred strains of bacteria from samples of soil, water, sediment, trona (NaHCo3.Na, C0,,2H,O) and a number of other sources in and around alkaline, hypersaline lakes. These samples were obtained over a period of three years. The isolated bacteria are non-phototrophic eubacteria and archaeobacteria. Up until now, only a few haloalkaliphilic archaeobactcria have been well characterized. In their fifty page long description of their invention they successively describe their treatment of the samples; cnrichment and isolation of haloalkaliphilic bacteria, their taxonomic analysis, the estimation of taxonomic resemblance, the results of the cluster analysis and the determination of representative strains. A new BOD analyzer
(European patent application 543 407, Nakano Vinegar Co. Ltd, Japan) Maeda and co-researchers have found a new biochemical oxygen demand analyzer. Their analyzer comprises a microbe sensor containing an oxygen electrode and a microbe membrane. The microbe membrane is made by immobilizing microorganisms belonging to Klebsiella oxytoca 12092 strain in a porous hydrophilic membrane, having an average pore size of O+S-3 pm in diameter, by using at least one gelating agent selected from the group consisting of arginic acid or salts thereof, agar, gellan gum, xanthane gum, gelatine, carageenan, locust bean gum, methylcellulose, pectin and pullulan. Figure 1 shows a diagram of BOD analyzer. A BOD sample is sent from a sam-
0 Elsevier Science Publishers Ltd, England.
ple container (4) via a magnetic valve (5) and a liquid-feeder pump (6) to a flow cell (7). In the flow cell (7) the sample is stirred by a stirring rod (9) actuated by a motor (10). Changes are detected by a microbe sensor (8) comprising an oxygen electrode (3) with a microbe membrane (2) both of which are firmly pressed by a cap ( 1) amplified by an amplifier (13) and recorded by a recorder (14). The sample flows to a drainage tank (11) after analysis. The magnetic valve (5) is a switch opening a washing solution tank 12 to wash the BOD analyzer. A new sewage treating system (European patent application 543 4.57, Tauw, Infrn Consult BV, Deventer, The Netherlands Marsman and co-engineers have developed a method and installation for the treatment of sewage. Figure 2 shows the various steps carried out during the process that comprises biological P-removal, (1) simultaneous COD reduction: (2) nitrification; and (3) denitrification. In the figure ( 1) represents the influent from the first step, (2) indicates the return sludge, (3) is the stirred anaerobic reactor of the first step, (4) is the aerated reactor of the first step and (5) is an intermediate settling tank, from which surplus sludge (6) is discharged, and from which, via line (2), return sludge is also fed to the first reactor. Effluent passing from the intermediate settling tank (5) via line (9) to the second, nitrifying step (10). From (10) the water flows via line (13) to the third, denitrifying step in tank (1Z), which is provided with an inlet for a carbon source (14) and which is also provided with an overflow (16). The effluent of the denitrifying step can eventually be polished to remove suspended solids by means of a microstrain, Dynasand, or comparable installations. The first step is inoculated with biologically dephosphating sludge and the second step is inoculated with nitrifying sludge. The third step is inoculated with denitrifying sludge. The bioreactors must not be too highly loaded in the start-up
2X (1993) 553-554
Patent Survey This is a regular series ofarticles covering a selection of recent patenfs and patent applications fromn Europe, the USA and Japan. Though many pantent applications and patents on biotechnological processes have been published in Western Europe, USA and Japan during the last few months, the following are deemed to earn particular attention. Haloalkaliphilic
microorganisms
(World patent application 9.3 09219, GistBrocades, De&, The Netherland.7) The British researchers Jones and Grant have isolated haloalkaliphiiic microorganisms from samples of soil, water and sediments, etc. They analyzed thcsc microorganisms following the principles of numerical taxonomy with respect to each other; as well as to other known haloalkaliphilic bacteria. In addition, the bacteria were further circumscribed by chemotaxonomic analysis. The bacteria produce various alkali and salt-tolerant enzymes which may be used in industrial processes requiring enzymatic activity in a high pH saline environment. Halophilic bacteria are defined as microorganisms that grow optimally in the presence of salt (sodium chloride). Since microorganisms arc often capable of growth over a wide range of salt concentrations, the term halophile is usually reserved for microorganisms having a minimum requirement in excess of the concentration found in sea water (approx. 0.5 M or 3”/0). Extremely halophilic bacteria are defined as bacteria that grow optimally at above 20% NaCl (3-4 M). Extrcmc halophiles inhabit hypersaline environments. The most intensely studied extremely halophilic bacteria belong to the order Halobacteriales. With the exception of the genera Natronobacrerium and Natronoccus. all known Halobacteria are obligate halophiles which require at least 12- 15% salt for growth and pH around neutrality. These bacteria belong to the Euryarchaeta of the Domain Archaca (the archaeobacteria) (Woese, C.R., et al., Proc. Natl. Acac. Sci. USA, 87 (1990), 4576-9). Process Biochemistry
032-9592/93/$6.00
Jones and Grant isolated several hundred strains of bacteria from samples of soil, water, sediment, trona (NaHCo3.Na, C0,,2H,O) and a number of other sources in and around alkaline, hypersaline lakes. These samples were obtained over a period of three years. The isolated bacteria are non-phototrophic eubacteria and archaeobacteria. Up until now, only a few haloalkaliphilic archaeobactcria have been well characterized. In their fifty page long description of their invention they successively describe their treatment of the samples; cnrichment and isolation of haloalkaliphilic bacteria, their taxonomic analysis, the estimation of taxonomic resemblance, the results of the cluster analysis and the determination of representative strains. A new BOD analyzer
(European patent application 543 407, Nakano Vinegar Co. Ltd, Japan) Maeda and co-researchers have found a new biochemical oxygen demand analyzer. Their analyzer comprises a microbe sensor containing an oxygen electrode and a microbe membrane. The microbe membrane is made by immobilizing microorganisms belonging to Klebsiella oxytoca 12092 strain in a porous hydrophilic membrane, having an average pore size of O+S-3 pm in diameter, by using at least one gelating agent selected from the group consisting of arginic acid or salts thereof, agar, gellan gum, xanthane gum, gelatine, carageenan, locust bean gum, methylcellulose, pectin and pullulan. Figure 1 shows a diagram of BOD analyzer. A BOD sample is sent from a sam-
0 Elsevier Science Publishers Ltd, England.
ple container (4) via a magnetic valve (5) and a liquid-feeder pump (6) to a flow cell (7). In the flow cell (7) the sample is stirred by a stirring rod (9) actuated by a motor (10). Changes are detected by a microbe sensor (8) comprising an oxygen electrode (3) with a microbe membrane (2) both of which are firmly pressed by a cap ( 1) amplified by an amplifier (13) and recorded by a recorder (14). The sample flows to a drainage tank (11) after analysis. The magnetic valve (5) is a switch opening a washing solution tank 12 to wash the BOD analyzer. A new sewage treating system (European patent application 543 4.57, Tauw, Infrn Consult BV, Deventer, The Netherlands Marsman and co-engineers have developed a method and installation for the treatment of sewage. Figure 2 shows the various steps carried out during the process that comprises biological P-removal, (1) simultaneous COD reduction: (2) nitrification; and (3) denitrification. In the figure ( 1) represents the influent from the first step, (2) indicates the return sludge, (3) is the stirred anaerobic reactor of the first step, (4) is the aerated reactor of the first step and (5) is an intermediate settling tank, from which surplus sludge (6) is discharged, and from which, via line (2), return sludge is also fed to the first reactor. Effluent passing from the intermediate settling tank (5) via line (9) to the second, nitrifying step (10). From (10) the water flows via line (13) to the third, denitrifying step in tank (1Z), which is provided with an inlet for a carbon source (14) and which is also provided with an overflow (16). The effluent of the denitrifying step can eventually be polished to remove suspended solids by means of a microstrain, Dynasand, or comparable installations. The first step is inoculated with biologically dephosphating sludge and the second step is inoculated with nitrifying sludge. The third step is inoculated with denitrifying sludge. The bioreactors must not be too highly loaded in the start-up