Fermentation process for preparing polysaccharides

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF A POLY SACCHARIDE WHICH COMPRISES: (A) GROWING MICROORGANISMS CAPABLE OF CONVERTING CARBOHYDRATES INTO POLYSACCHARIDES ON A PROTEIN-CONTAINING GROWTH MEDIUM IN A FIRST ZONE, SAID GROWTH MEDIUM CONTAINING INSUFFICIENT CARBOHYDRATE TO PERMIT THE FORMATION OF SUBSTANTIAL QUNATITIES OF POLYSACCHARIDE IN SAID FIRST ZONE; (B) PASSING GROWTH MEDIUM CONTAINING VIABLE MICOORGANISMS FROM SAID FIRST ZONE THROUGH A FIXED BED OF SOLIDS IN A SECOND ZONE, SAID SOLIDS BEING COATED WITH AN ADHERENT FILM CONTAINING AT LEAST ABOUT 5 WEIGHT PERCENT OF A CARBOHYDRATE DIFFUSIBLE INTO SAID GROWTH MEDIUM FROM SAID FILM; (C) CONTROLLING CONDITIONS IN SAID SECOND ZONE AND THE RESIDENCE TIME OF THE MEDIUM THEREIN TO PERMIT THE CONVERSION OF CARBOHYDRATE INTO POLYSACCHARIDE BY SAID MICROORGANISMS AS SAID CARBOHYDRATE DIFFUSES INTO SAID GROWTH MEDIUM; AND (D) WITHDRAWING MEDIUM CONTAINING MICROORGANISMS AND POLYSACCHARIDE PRODUCED BY SAID MICROORGANISMS FROM SAID SECOND ZONE.