Chemistry: molecular biology and microbiology – Micro-organism – tissue cell culture or enzyme using process... – Preparing hydrocarbon
Patent
1987-07-17
1990-05-01
Richman, Barry S.
Chemistry: molecular biology and microbiology
Micro-organism, tissue cell culture or enzyme using process...
Preparing hydrocarbon
435166, 435157, C12P 502
Patent
active
049217992
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to a new method of producing a substance by microbial action. More particularly, it relates to the biosynthesis of a substance from a gaseous material using fixed cells of a microorganism.
Hence, the technique disclosed in this invention will play an important role in the field of biotechnology, such as fermentation, microbial, enzyme and food engineering. Methane and other substances produced by the method of this invention can be converted into methanol, hydrogen cyanide, acetylene and other organic chemicals of industrial importance; in this respect, the technique of this invention will be of great importance also in the chemical industry.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
No industrial system is so far known for the manufacture of methane by microbial action. Methane has been obtained as a byproduct liberated by anaerobic fermentation in the sewage and night soil treatment, or by decay of compost and other organic wastes. In these processes, however, organic polymers are decomposed by the action of microorganisms contained in sludge into low-molecular substances, ultimately giving methane--processes quite different from the biosynthesis of methane from a gaseous material of low molecular weight.
Recently a system has been developed for the manufacture of methane using an apparatus as shown in FIG. 2. Cells of a methanogen 12 are suspended in a liquid medium 11 containing nitrogen sources, inorganic salts and other auxiliary nutrients, carbon dioxide and hydrogen gases are forced into said liquid medium from the outside of fermentor 13, the bubbles of gases 19 from orifices 18 are finely dispersed by mechanical agitation with agitator blades 14 (fermentator with aeration and agitation) or by the use of a draft tube 16 (fermentator of bubble-tower type 17), thereby prolonging the retention time of gases in the liquid medium, accelerating solution of the carbon dioxide and hydrogen gases into the liquid medium, and causing a biochemical reaction by said methanogen to take place. This system is not intended for biosynthesis of methane from the material gases through direct gas-phase reaction; nor can it be put to practical use because of the low yield of methane and other disadvantages.
No industrial fermentation process has also been established in which a product is manufactured by allowing gaseous substrate to act directly upon fixed cells of a microorganism.
For example, a technique was proposed in which formic acid is produced by supplying a gaseous material to an aqueous suspension of microbial cells [S. Y. Eguchi et al., Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol., 22, 148-151 (1985)]. This system, too, is not intended for biosynthesis from the material gases through direct gas-phase reaction; nor can it be applied to commercial production because of the low yield of formic acid and other disadvantages.
Thus no technique has so far been established in which biosynthesis is effected by direct supply of gaseous substrate to the cells of a microorganism, not to mention the use of fixed microbial cells.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 illustrates an example of apparatuses used in the method of this invention.
FIG. 2 is a conventional methane fermentator.
FIG. 3 shows an example of apparatuses of this invention for the manufacture of formic acid.
PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED
The object of this invention is to establish an industrial system for the direct biosynthesis from gaseous substrate. We first started with the study on the systems using a fermentor of aeration/agitation type or of bubble-tower type, but these conventional systems turned out to have disadvantages as enumerated below.
1. The fermentor of aeration/agitation type requires much power for mechanical agitation.
2. There is a limit to the solution speed of each substrate gas. If it is supplied at a speed exceeding that limit, most of the gas reaches the surface of the liquid unconsumed by the microorganism, resulting in very low contact efficiency.
3. The substrate gas cannot be supplied at a speed comparable
REFERENCES:
patent: 4425432 (1984-01-01), Zeikus et al.
patent: 4506012 (1985-03-01), Reed
patent: 4571384 (1986-02-01), Morita et al.
patent: 4632758 (1986-12-01), Whittle
S. Y. Eguchi et al, Appln. Microbiol. Biotechnol, 22, 148-151 (1985), Formic Acid Production from H.sup.2 and Bicarbonate by a Formateutilizing . . .
Kitaura Shinko
Nagai Shiro
Nishio Naomichi
Takahara Yoshimasa
Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho
Richman Barry S.
Wallen T. J.
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