EP0274151A2
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A process for producing polyesters by fermentation; a process for producing optically active carboxylic acids and esters; articles of manufacture comprising polyester
Assignee: University of Groningen
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Filing: 1987-12-01
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2007-12-01
Abstract
Abstract This invention relates to a process for producing polyester biopolymers by culturing Pseudomonas oleovorans bacteria on substrates comprising certain nutrients. The nature of the polyesters can be varied by varying the nature of the carbon source used. In this way polyesters with unsaturated double bonds can be produced, too. From the polyesters, optically active carboxylic acids or esters are produced. The polymers can be used for making articles of manufacture, such as sutures, films, skin and bone grafts.
Inventors
- 👤 Bernard Witholt
- 👤 Roland Gerhard Lageveen
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 19:52
CPC Classifications
C; C12; C12P; C12P7/00; C12P7/62; C12P7/625; C08; C08G; C08G63/00; C08G63/02; C08G63/06; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S435/00; Y10S435/8215; Y10S435/822; Y10S435/874
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 30
Claim 1
Independent Claim
69 words
A process for producing polyesters by aerobically culturing micro-organisms with nutrient limitation, characterized by culturing Pseudomonas oleovorans bacteria under aerobic conditions in a nutrient medium containing an excess of a carbon source and a limiting quantity of at least one of the other nutrients essential for growth, the carbon source comprising at least one assimilable acyclic aliphatic hydrocarbon compound, and if desired recovering the biopolymer formed from the cells.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
69 words
A process for producing polyesters by aerobically culturing micro-organisms with nutrient limitation, characterized by culturing Pseudomonas oleovorans bacteria under aerobic conditions in a nutrient medium containing an excess of a carbon source and a limiting quantity of at least one of the other nutrients essential for growth, the carbon source comprising at least one assimilable acyclic aliphatic hydrocarbon compound, and if desired recovering the biopolymer formed from the cells.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
45 words
A process as claimed in claim 1, characterized by producing polyesters built up of units having the structural formula (1): wherein m represents an integer of 2-8, by using a carbon source comprising one or more paraffins containing 6-12 carbon atoms or paraffin oxidation products.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
66 words
A process as claimed in claim 1, characterized by producing polyesters built up of units having the structural formula (1): and units having the structural formula (2): wherein m represents an integer of 2-8, by using a carbon source comprising one or more unbranched 1-olefins containing 6-12 carbon atoms and, if desired, also one or more non-branched paraffins or paraffin oxidation products containing 6-12 carbon atoms.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
35 words
A process as claimed in claim 2 or 3, characterized by producing polyesters in which the side chains contain 3 carbon atoms (m = 2), by using one or more substrates containing 6 carbon atoms.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
35 words
A process as claimed in claim 2 or 3, characterized by preparing polyesters in which the side chains contain 4 carbon atoms (m = 3) by using one or more substrates containing 7 carbon atoms.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
49 words
A process as claimed in claim 2 or 3, characterized by producing copolymeric polyesters in which the side chains contain 3 and 4 carbon atoms (m = 2 and 3) by using one or more substrates containing 6 carbon atoms and one or more substrates containing 7 carbon atoms.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
53 words
A process as claimed in claim 2 or 3, characterized by producing copolymeric polyesters in which the side chains contain 3 and 5 carbon atoms (m = 2 and 4) by using one or more substrates containing 8 carbon atoms, if desired in combination with one or more substrates containing 6 carbon atoms.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
64 words
A process as claimed in claim 2 or 3, characterized by producing copolymeric polyesters in which the side chains contain 3, 4 and 5 carbon atoms (m = 2, 3 and 4) by using one or more substrates containing 7 carbon atoms and one or more substrates containing 8 carbon atoms, if desired in combination with one or more substrates containing 6 carbon atoms.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
53 words
A process as claimed in claim 2 or 3, characterized by producing copolymeric polyesters in which the side chains contain 4 and 6 carbon atoms (m = 3 and 5) by using one or more substrates containing 9 carbon atoms, if desired in combination with one or more substrates containing 7 carbon atoms.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
68 words
A process as claimed in claim 2 or 3, characterized by producing copolymeric polyesters in which the side chains contain 3, 4, 5 and 6 carbon atoms (m = 2, 3, 4 and 5) by using one or more substrates containing 8 carbon atoms and one or more substrates containing 9 carbon atoms, if desired in combination with one or more substrates containing 6 and/or 7 carbon atoms.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
57 words
A process as claimed in claim 2 or 3, characterized by producing copolymeric polyesters in which the side chains contain 3, 5 and 7 carbon atoms (m = 2, 4 and 6) by using one or more substrates containing 10 carbon atoms, if desired in combination with one or more substrates containing 6 and/or 8 carbon atoms.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
71 words
A process as claimed in claim 2 or 3, characterized by producing copolymeric polyesters in which the side chains contain 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 carbon atoms (m = 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6) by using one or more substrates containing 9 carbon atoms and one or more substrates containing 10 carbon atoms, if desired in combination with one or more substrates containing 6, 7 and/or 8 carbon atoms.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
57 words
A process as claimed in claim 2 or 3, characterized by producing copolymeric polyesters in which the side chains contain 4, 6 and 8 carbon atoms (m = 3, 5 and 7), by using one or more substrates containing 11 carbon atoms, if desired in combination with one or more substrates containing 7 and/or 9 carbon atoms.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
74 words
A process as claimed in claim 2 or 3, characterized by producing copolymeric polyesters in which the side chains contain 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 carbon atoms (m = 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7) by using one or more substrates containing 10 carbon atoms and one or more substrates containing 11 carbon atoms, if desired in combination with one or more substrates containing 6, 7, 8 and/or 9 carbon atoms.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
60 words
A process as claimed in claim 2 or 3, characterized by producing copolymeric polyesters in which the side chains contain 3, 5, 7 and 9 carbon atoms (m = 2, 4, 6 and 8) by using one or more substrates containing 12 carbon atoms, if desired in combination with one or more substrates containing 6, 8 and/or 10 carbon atoms.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
77 words
A process as claimed in claim 2 or 3, characterized by producing copolymeric polyesters in which the side chains contain 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 carbon atoms (m = 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8) by using one or more substrates containing 11 carbon atoms and one or more substrates containing 12 carbon atoms, if desired in combination with one or more substrates containing 6, 7, 8, 9 and/or 10 carbon atoms.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
19 words
A process according to claim 2 or 3, characterized by using one or more substrates containing 7-11 carbon atoms.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
19 words
A process according to claim 2 or 3, characterized by using one or more substrates containing 8-10 carbon atoms.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
22 words
A process according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by carrying out the aerobic culture with nitrogen or phosphorus limitation.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
20 words
A process according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by carrying out the aerobic culture with nitrogen limitation.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
35 words
A process as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the aerobic cultivation is carried out at pH 5-9, preferably about 7, and at a temperature below 37°C, preferably about 30°C.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
32 words
A process as claimed in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the aerobic cultivation is carried with adequate agitation at a dissolved oxygen tension preferably above 50% saturation with air.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
26 words
A process as claimed in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the aerobic cultivation is carried out in a system of two liquid phases.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
40 words
A process as claimed in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the aerobic cultivation with nutrient limitation is preceded by an exponential growth phase without nutrient limitations until a cell density of at least 2 g/l is reached.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
40 words
A process as claimed in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the biopolymer containing cells formed in the stationary phase with nutrient limitation are harvested before a significant decrease in biopolymer content of the cells has taken place.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
47 words
A process as claimed in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the biopolymer is isolated by converting the harvested cells into spheroplasts, breaking these up by a treatment with sonorous vibrations, and separating, and if desired washing and drying, the top layer formed after centrifugation.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
19 words
A process as claimed in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the biopolymer produced is chemically modified.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
34 words
A process for producing optically active carboxylic acids or esters, characterized by hydrolyzing a polyester produced by the process as claimed in any of the preceding claims, and if desired esterifying the resulting monomers.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
34 words
Articles of manufacture, such as sutures, films, skin or bone grafts and the like, consisting in full or in part of a polyester produced by the process as claimed in any of claims 1-27.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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