Method for preventing culture degeneration in a continuous fermentation

Claim 1

IN A FERMENTATION PROCESS UNTILIZING A STRAIN-SPECIFIC CHARACTERISTIC OF MICROORGANISMS, THE METHOD OF PREVENTING DEGENERATION OF THE STRAIN-SPECIFIC CHARACTERISTICS OF SAID MICROORGANISMS WHICH COMPRISES CULTURING SAID MICROORGANISMS IN A PLURALITY OF STAGES, THE CELL-GROWTH PHASE OF THE MICROORGANISMS BEING CONFINED SUBSTANTIALLY TO THE FIRST STAGE AND THE PRODUCTIVE GROWTH PHASE OF THE MICROORGANISMS TAKING PLACE SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE LATER STAGES, CONTINUOUSLY ADDING NUTRIENT MEDIUM TO THE FIRST STAGE AND CONTINUOUSLY WITHDRAWING CULTURE MEDIUM THEREFROM INTO THE NEXT STAGE AT A RATE TO MAINTAIN THE PROPAGATION OF SAID MICROORGANISMS IN A STEADY STATE, AND PERIODICALLY REPLACING THE CULTURE IN THE FIRST STAGE WITH A FRESH CULTURE OF SAID MICROORGANISM, THE REPLACEMENT TAKING PLACE BEFORE THE STRAIN-SPECIFIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CULTURE IN USE IN THE FIRST STAGE HAVE SHOWN DEGENERATION.