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Patent survey
Process Biochemistry 26 (1991) 123 124
Patent Survey
This section is the first in a regular series of articles compiled by Marten Terpstra ( Technisch Economisch Publiciteitsbureau, The Hague, Netherlands) covering a selection of recent patents from Europe, USA and Japan.
microorganisms, to kill a sufficient number of microorganisms in the biofilm to result in the biofilm's removal. Optionally a second biocide may be provided with or after the nutrient source to kill any microorganisms released from the biofilm during its removal and thereby inhibiting the reformation of the biofilm.
Biofilm Control (European patent application 418650, Philips Petroleum Company, Bartlesville, Oklahoma, USA) Microorganisms in an aquatic environment have a marked tendency to grow on submerged surfaces, such as vessels or pipes carrying a flow of natural water. The microorganisms which colonize the surface secrete a surrounding structure called a glycocalyx which is usually composed of polysaccharides. The matrix structure formed by the microorganisms and the glycocalyx is generally referred to as a biofilm. The biofilm structure allows the microorganisms inhabiting the biofilm to remain viable during periods of environmental stress such as inadequate food, adverse temperature, drying or the presence of deleterious chemicals. In the operation of vessels or conduits carrying water such as heat exchangers, biofilms can substantially increase the resistance to fluid flow, reduce the heat transfer capacity and lead to increased corrosion of metal surfaces. Efforts to control or eliminate biofilms have not been particularly successful. Clark and Langley have found a method (European patent application 418650) for the removal of biofilms composed of microorganisms from submerged surfaces in an adequate medium comprising contacting the biofilm with an aqueous stabilized chlorine dioxide and at least one nutrient source. The nutrient source is provided in an amount resulting in the generation of one or more acidic compounds by the biofilm, and the aqueous stabilized chlorine dioxide is provided in an amount sufficient, when activated by the one or more acidic compounds generated by the
Alkaline Pullulanase Y Having AlphaAmylase Activity (European patent application 418835, Kao Corporation, Tokyo, Japan) Pullulanase is an enzyme which breaks only a-l,6-glycosidic linkage of pullulan and finally produces maltotriose. Pullulanase was first discovered from a strain belonging to Aerobacter aerogenes by Bender and Wallenfels in 1961 [Biochem. Z., 334 (1961) 79]. Recently, various microorganisms capable of producing pullulanase have been reported, such as Bacillus sp. [J. Jpn. Soc. Starch Sci., 30 (1983) 200], Bacillus acidopullulyticus [Agric. Biol. Chem., 52 (i 984) 2293], and Bacillus
stearothermophilus [Eur. J. Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol., 17 (1983) 24]. It is known that pultulanase not only possesses activities against pullulan, but also hydrolysis activities against a-l,6glycosidic linkage of starch, glycogen, amylopectin, as well as against branched oligosaccharides produced by their partial decomposition. Because of this characteristic, pullulanase is known as a ' debranching enzyme'. A novel alkaline pullulanase Y having ~t-amylase activity, a microorganism producing the alkaline pullulanase Y, and a process for producing the alkaline pullulanase Y have been developed by Ara et al. (European patent application 418835). The alkaline pullulanase Y having a-amylase activity has its optimum pH at higher alkaline range than conventional alkaline pullulanases and exhibits stability in a wide pH range. Further, the alkaline pullulanase Y has strong resistance to almost all detergent components such as surfactants,
Process Biochemistry (26) (1991)--© 1991 Elsevier Science Publishers Ltd, England.
chelating agents and proteases for detergents. Thus the alkaline pullulanase Y can advantageously be used as a detergent component. The European Patent Office, considering the state of the art position of the Ara et al. invention, referred to: Kelly, C.T. et al., Extracellular alphaglucosidase of an alkalophilic microorganism Bacillus sp. ATCC 21591. FEMS Microbiology Letters, 20 (1983) 55-9; Nakamura, N. et al., Purification and some properties of alkaline pullulanase from a strain of Bacillus no. 202-1, an alkalophilic microorganism. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta, 397 (1975) 188-93.
Cell Culture Apparatus (European patent application 419234, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK) Cousins designed a cell culture apparatus (European patent application 419234). His apparatus comprises a chamber (1) for containing a cell culture having a first bundle of hollow semipermeable fibres (5) passing through the chamber for aqueous dialysing liquid for removing waste products (and optionally supplying nutrients), and a second bundle of hollow semipermeable fibres (7) for carrying an oxygen-containing gas and removing gaseous waste products from the cell culture. The chamber may be cylindrical, or may comprise layers of fibres at right angles, or may be formed of a stack of plates each having a series of fibres therein (see Fig. 1).
Ethanol Production by Escheriehia coli Strains (US patent 5 000 000, University of Florida, Florida, USA) Certain bacteria and other simple organisms are capable of activity metabolizing a wide variety of substrates, including hexoses, pentoses, and lactose. This is one of the reasons why E. coli is an attractive host for
124
Patent Survey / 9
1
13
11
Fig. 1. recombinant D N A procedures. The technique invented by Ingram et al. (US patent 5000000) allows the use of recombinant strains of simple organisms
for the production of ethanol from underutilized sources of biomass, such as hemicellulose (xylose, arabinose, etc.), which represents a major portion of wood and inedible plant parts, and whey (lactose), as well as from other biomass sources. Also, organisms with special capabilities, such as extracellular enzymes for the degradation of complex polymers, can be converted to ethanol producers by using the subject invention. The Eseherichia coil employed by Ingram and his cosearchers has been transformed with Zymomonas mobils genes coding for alcohol dehydrogenase and pyruvate decarboxylase wherein the genes are expressed at sufficient levels to confer upon the Escherichia coli transformant the ability to produce ethanol as a fermentation product. The Escherichia coli, prior to transformation, is selected from the group consisting of ATCC 8677, ATCC
8739, ATCC 9637, ATCC 11303, ATCC 11775, ATCC 14948, ATCC 15224, and ATCC 23227.
Copies of the references cited can be obtained from the .following organizations, or at the Patent Offices of the respective countries. European Patent Office, Rijswijk, The Netherlands; The Netherlands Patent Office, Rijswijk, The Netherlands; The Patent Information Department of TNO, Rijswijk, The Netherlands; The International Patent Research Office IPRO, PO Box 16260, 2500 BG, The Hague, The Netherlands ; Univentio, PO Box 16056, The Hague, The Netherlands.
Patent Survey
This section is the first in a regular series of articles compiled by Marten Terpstra ( Technisch Economisch Publiciteitsbureau, The Hague, Netherlands) covering a selection of recent patents from Europe, USA and Japan.
microorganisms, to kill a sufficient number of microorganisms in the biofilm to result in the biofilm's removal. Optionally a second biocide may be provided with or after the nutrient source to kill any microorganisms released from the biofilm during its removal and thereby inhibiting the reformation of the biofilm.
Biofilm Control (European patent application 418650, Philips Petroleum Company, Bartlesville, Oklahoma, USA) Microorganisms in an aquatic environment have a marked tendency to grow on submerged surfaces, such as vessels or pipes carrying a flow of natural water. The microorganisms which colonize the surface secrete a surrounding structure called a glycocalyx which is usually composed of polysaccharides. The matrix structure formed by the microorganisms and the glycocalyx is generally referred to as a biofilm. The biofilm structure allows the microorganisms inhabiting the biofilm to remain viable during periods of environmental stress such as inadequate food, adverse temperature, drying or the presence of deleterious chemicals. In the operation of vessels or conduits carrying water such as heat exchangers, biofilms can substantially increase the resistance to fluid flow, reduce the heat transfer capacity and lead to increased corrosion of metal surfaces. Efforts to control or eliminate biofilms have not been particularly successful. Clark and Langley have found a method (European patent application 418650) for the removal of biofilms composed of microorganisms from submerged surfaces in an adequate medium comprising contacting the biofilm with an aqueous stabilized chlorine dioxide and at least one nutrient source. The nutrient source is provided in an amount resulting in the generation of one or more acidic compounds by the biofilm, and the aqueous stabilized chlorine dioxide is provided in an amount sufficient, when activated by the one or more acidic compounds generated by the
Alkaline Pullulanase Y Having AlphaAmylase Activity (European patent application 418835, Kao Corporation, Tokyo, Japan) Pullulanase is an enzyme which breaks only a-l,6-glycosidic linkage of pullulan and finally produces maltotriose. Pullulanase was first discovered from a strain belonging to Aerobacter aerogenes by Bender and Wallenfels in 1961 [Biochem. Z., 334 (1961) 79]. Recently, various microorganisms capable of producing pullulanase have been reported, such as Bacillus sp. [J. Jpn. Soc. Starch Sci., 30 (1983) 200], Bacillus acidopullulyticus [Agric. Biol. Chem., 52 (i 984) 2293], and Bacillus
stearothermophilus [Eur. J. Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol., 17 (1983) 24]. It is known that pultulanase not only possesses activities against pullulan, but also hydrolysis activities against a-l,6glycosidic linkage of starch, glycogen, amylopectin, as well as against branched oligosaccharides produced by their partial decomposition. Because of this characteristic, pullulanase is known as a ' debranching enzyme'. A novel alkaline pullulanase Y having ~t-amylase activity, a microorganism producing the alkaline pullulanase Y, and a process for producing the alkaline pullulanase Y have been developed by Ara et al. (European patent application 418835). The alkaline pullulanase Y having a-amylase activity has its optimum pH at higher alkaline range than conventional alkaline pullulanases and exhibits stability in a wide pH range. Further, the alkaline pullulanase Y has strong resistance to almost all detergent components such as surfactants,
Process Biochemistry (26) (1991)--© 1991 Elsevier Science Publishers Ltd, England.
chelating agents and proteases for detergents. Thus the alkaline pullulanase Y can advantageously be used as a detergent component. The European Patent Office, considering the state of the art position of the Ara et al. invention, referred to: Kelly, C.T. et al., Extracellular alphaglucosidase of an alkalophilic microorganism Bacillus sp. ATCC 21591. FEMS Microbiology Letters, 20 (1983) 55-9; Nakamura, N. et al., Purification and some properties of alkaline pullulanase from a strain of Bacillus no. 202-1, an alkalophilic microorganism. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta, 397 (1975) 188-93.
Cell Culture Apparatus (European patent application 419234, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK) Cousins designed a cell culture apparatus (European patent application 419234). His apparatus comprises a chamber (1) for containing a cell culture having a first bundle of hollow semipermeable fibres (5) passing through the chamber for aqueous dialysing liquid for removing waste products (and optionally supplying nutrients), and a second bundle of hollow semipermeable fibres (7) for carrying an oxygen-containing gas and removing gaseous waste products from the cell culture. The chamber may be cylindrical, or may comprise layers of fibres at right angles, or may be formed of a stack of plates each having a series of fibres therein (see Fig. 1).
Ethanol Production by Escheriehia coli Strains (US patent 5 000 000, University of Florida, Florida, USA) Certain bacteria and other simple organisms are capable of activity metabolizing a wide variety of substrates, including hexoses, pentoses, and lactose. This is one of the reasons why E. coli is an attractive host for
124
Patent Survey / 9
1
13
11
Fig. 1. recombinant D N A procedures. The technique invented by Ingram et al. (US patent 5000000) allows the use of recombinant strains of simple organisms
for the production of ethanol from underutilized sources of biomass, such as hemicellulose (xylose, arabinose, etc.), which represents a major portion of wood and inedible plant parts, and whey (lactose), as well as from other biomass sources. Also, organisms with special capabilities, such as extracellular enzymes for the degradation of complex polymers, can be converted to ethanol producers by using the subject invention. The Eseherichia coil employed by Ingram and his cosearchers has been transformed with Zymomonas mobils genes coding for alcohol dehydrogenase and pyruvate decarboxylase wherein the genes are expressed at sufficient levels to confer upon the Escherichia coli transformant the ability to produce ethanol as a fermentation product. The Escherichia coli, prior to transformation, is selected from the group consisting of ATCC 8677, ATCC
8739, ATCC 9637, ATCC 11303, ATCC 11775, ATCC 14948, ATCC 15224, and ATCC 23227.
Copies of the references cited can be obtained from the .following organizations, or at the Patent Offices of the respective countries. European Patent Office, Rijswijk, The Netherlands; The Netherlands Patent Office, Rijswijk, The Netherlands; The Patent Information Department of TNO, Rijswijk, The Netherlands; The International Patent Research Office IPRO, PO Box 16260, 2500 BG, The Hague, The Netherlands ; Univentio, PO Box 16056, The Hague, The Netherlands.