Method of culturing micro-organisms under a mutagenic influence

US5798253A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Bitop Gesellschaft Fur Biotechnische Optimierung MBH · DE

Inventors

• Peter Bartholmes · Witten, DE
• Michael Kaufmann · Dortmund, DE
• Thomas Schwarz · Plaisir, FR

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 29, 1996
• Grant date: Aug 25, 1998
• Expiry date: Oct 29, 2016

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10S435/822
• WIPO field: Biotechnology
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

An accelerated micro-organism culture method is for decomposing harmful substances. For this purpose, the cultivation, mutagenic treatment and stabilization of the micro-organisms are carried out simultaneously in a mutation fermenter containing a nutrient-rich basic medium (basic medium 1); selection is carried out in a selection fermenter containing a basic medium which is low in nutrients and is enriched with the harmful substance (basic medium 2); small amounts of biomass released from the nutrient-rich basic medium (basic medium 1) of the mutation fermenter are continuously removed from the mutation fermenter and transferred to the selection fermenter. Small amounts of biomass released from the basic medium which is low in nutrients (basic medium 2) of the selection fermenter are removed from the selection fermenter and transferred to the mutation fermenter. The entire process is carried out continuously in alternating selection and mutation phases, in the manner of a repeated cycle. The mutation fermenter and the selection fermenter are associated with computerized control circuits by means of which the fermentation parameters can be adjusted independently of one another in b…