Patent · US Expired

Method for continuous culturing of microbes

US4286061A · kind A · utility

9Cited by
4References
10Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 23, 1980
Grant dateAug 25, 1981
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 23, 2000

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S435/942
  • WIPO fieldBiotechnology
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

A method for the continuous culturing of microbes in a plug-flow reactor which comprises the steps of: PA1 A. supplying medium to microbes immobilized on a porous inorganic support at a rate sufficient to maintain such microbes substantially in a logarithmic growth state and PA1 B. removing microbe-containing effluent from the immobilized microbes at a rate equal to the medium supply rate, wherein the microbes are selected from the group consisting of bacteria, yeasts, and fungus-like organisms; such reactor is operated continuously in a substantially plug-flow mode; the immobilized microbes are substantially covered by said medium; and such porous inorganic support has a controlled porosity such that at least 70% of the pores, on a pore size distribution basis, have a pore diameter, PA2 a. in the case of bacteria, at least as large as the smallest major dimension of the microbes but less than about five times the largest major dimension of the microbes; PA2 b. in the case of yeasts, at least as large as the smallest dimension of the microbes but less than about four times the largest dimension of the microbes; and PA2 c. in the case of fungus-like organisms, at least as large as t…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.