Method of immobilizing microorganisms

Claim 2

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.

Claim 3

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.

Claim 4

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.

Claim 5

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.

Claim 6

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.

Claim 7

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.

Claim 8

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.

Claim 9

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.

Claim 10

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.

Claim 11

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.

Claim 12

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.