Method of immobilizing microorganisms

• US 4,547,463 A
• Filed: 05/18/1982
• Issued: 10/15/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/1981
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nippon Oil Corporation (ENEOS Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Nippon Oil Corporation (ENEOS Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Imai, Hirosuke, Sakata, Co
• Primary Examiner(s): Henderson, Christopher A.
• Application Number:
  US06/379,319
• Time in Patent Office: 1,246 Days
• Field of Search: 435/180
• US Class Current: 435/180
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 11/087 Acrylic polymers

Abstract

A method of immobilizing microorganisms which comprises the steps of bringing a suspension of living cells of a microorganism into contact with a water-insoluble copolymer containing structural units derived from 2-acrylamidoethanesulfonic acid or a derivative thereof to cause the microorganism to become adsorbed on the copolymer, and bringing the water-insoluble copolymer having the microorganism adsorbed thereon into contact with a nutrient medium for the cultivation of the microorganism to increase the number of cells present on the copolymer.

Claims

1. Method of immobilizing microorganisms which comprises the steps of bringing a suspension of living cells of a microorganism into contact with water-insoluble copolymer gel particles containing 10 to 99% by weight of structural units derived from 2-Acrylamidoethanesulfonic acid or a derivative thereof and a remainder of either a crosslinkable vinyl monomer having two or more ethylenic double bonds or of such a crosslinkable vinyl monomer having two or more ethylenic double bonds and a monoethylenic monomer, to cause the microorganism to become adsorbed on the copolymer gel particles, and bringing the water-insoluble copolymer gel particles having the microorganism adsorbed thereon into contact with a nutrient medium for the cultivation of the microorganism to increase the number of cells present on the copolymer gel particles.

2. Method of claim 1, wherein the water-insoluble copolymer in the copolymer gel particles is a copolymer of 2-acrylamidoethanesulfonic acid or a derivative thereof and a crosslinkable vinyl monomer having two or more ethylenic double bonds.

3. Method of claim 2, wherein the structural units derived from 2-acrylamidoethanesulfonic acid or a derivative thereof are structural units derived from one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of 2-acrylamidoethanesulfonic acid, 2-acrylamidopropanesulfonic acid, 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid, and alkali metal or alkaline earth metal salts thereof, and the crosslinkable vinyl monomer is selected from the group consisting of N,N'"'"'-methylenebisacrylamide, N,N'"'"'-propylene-bisacrylamide, N-acryloylacrylamide, diacrylamido dimethyl ether, 1,2-diacrylamido ethylene glycol, ethyleneureabisacrylamide, 1,3,5-triacryl-hexahydro-S-triazine, and mixtures thereof.

4. Method of claim 1, wherein the water-insoluble copolymer in the copolymer gel particles is a copolymer of 2-acrylamidoethanesulfonic acid or a derivative thereof, a crosslinkable vinyl monomer having two or more ethylenic double bonds, and a monoethylenic monomer.

5. Method of claim 4, wherein the structural units derived from 2-acrylamidoethanesulfonic acid or a derivative thereof are structural units derived from one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of 2-acrylamidoethanesulfonic acid, 2-acrylamidopropanesulfonic acid, 2-acrylamido-2-methylproponesulfonic acid, and alkali metal or alkaline earth metal salts thereof, the crosslinkable vinyl monomer is selected from the group consisting of N,N'"'"'-methylenebisacrylamide, N,N'"'"'-propylene-bisacrylamide, N-acryloylacrylamide, diacrylamido dimethyl ether, 1,2-diacrylamido ethylene glycol, ethyleneureabisacrylamide, 1,3,5-triacryl-hexahydro-S-triazine, and mixtures thereof, and the monoethylenic monomer is selected from the group consisting of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, acrylamide, and derivatives thereof;

styrene, alkyl-substituted styrenes, acrylonitrile, methacrylonitrile, vinyl ethers, N-vinylpyrrolidone, vinyl acetate, maleic acid, and maleic anhydride; and

mixtures thereof.

6. Method of claim 1, wherein the water-insoluble copolymer gel particles contain 20 to 80% by weight of structural units derived from 2-acrylamidoethanesulfonic acid or a derivative thereof.

7. Method of claim 1, which further includes the step of swelling the water-insoluble copolymer gel particles in water prior to contact of a suspension of living cells of a microorganism with the water-insoluble copolymer gel particles.

8. Method of immobilizing microorganisms which comprises the steps of bringing a suspension of living cells of a microorganism into contact with water-insoluble copolymer gel particles containg 10 to 99% by weight of structural units derived from 2-acrylamidoethanesulfonic acid or a derivative thereof and a remainder of a natural or synthetic high-molecular compound, the copolymer in said copolymer gel particles constituting a graft polymer obtained by the graft polymerization of 2-acrylamidoethanesulfonic acid or a derivative thereof on the natural or synthetic high-molecular compound, the structural units derived from 2-acrylamdidoethanesulfonic acid or a derivative thereof being structural units derived from one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of 2-acrylamidoethanesulfonic acid, 2-acrylamidopropanesulfonic acid, 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-propanesulfonic acid, and alkali metal or alkaline earth metal salts thereof, to cause the microorganism to become adsorbed on the copolymer gel particles, and bringing the water-insoluble copolymer gel particles having the microorganism adsorbed thereon into contact with a nutrient medium for the cultivation of the microorganism to increase the number of cells present on the copolymer gel particles.

9. Method of claim 8, wherein the water-insoluble copolymer gel particles contain 20 to 80% by weight of structural units derived from 2-acrylamidoethanesulfonic acid or a derivative thereof.

10. Method of claim 8, which further includes the step of swelling the water-insoluble copolymer gel particles in water prior to contact of a suspension of living cells of a microorganism with the water-insoluble copolymer gel particles.