Production of bacterial cell aggregate

Claim 2

A process for producing an aggregate of Streptomyces olivaceus bacterial cells which comprises contacting a mass of Streptomyces olivaceus bacterial cells with a cross-linking reaction product of (1) a material selected from the class consisting of glutaraldehyde, cyanuric halide and combinations thereof and (2) a water-soluble cationic polymer obtained by the polymerization of an epihalohydrin with an alkylene polyamine having the formula R 1 R 2 NRNH 2 wherein R is a lower alkylene having from 2 to about 6 carbon atoms, and R 1 and R 2 are each a lower alkyl of from 1 to about 6 carbon atoms, the mole ratio of epihalohydrin to polyamine being from about 0.60:1 to about 2.7:1, said polymerization comprising reacting with the alkylene polyamine from about 50 to about 90 percent of the amount of epihalohydrin to be polymerized, allowing the reaction to continue until the reaction medium attains a substantially uniform viscosity, and reacting the remaining portion of the epihalohydrin incrementally to obtain the cationic polymer, the temperature of polymerization being from about 60° C. to about 120° C., and recovering the resulting aggregate.

Claim 3

A process according to claim 1 wherein component (1) of the cross-linking reaction product is glutaraldehyde.

Claim 4

A process according to claim 1 wherein component (1) of the cross-linking reaction product is cyanuric halide.

Claim 5

A process according to claim 1, wherein component (1) of the cross-linking reaction product is a combination of glutaraldehyde and cyanuric halide.

Claim 6

A process according to claim 1 wherein the bacterial cells are contacted with the cross-linking reaction product at pH about 8 to 9 and at about 0° to 30° C. for about 0.5 to 1.5 hours.

Claim 7

A process according to claim 1 wherein the bacterial cells are contacted with from about 4.5 to about 60 weight percent of the cross-linking reaction product based upon the dry weight of the cells.

Claim 8

A process according to Claim 1 wherein the cross-linking product results from the reaction of from about 12 to about 77 weight percent of component (1) and from about 23 to about 88 weight percent of component (2) based on the total weight of the active ingredients in components (1) and (2).

Claim 9

A process according to claim 7 wherein component (1) of the cross-linking reaction product contains from about 0 to about 77 weight percent glutaraldehyde and from about 0 to about 22 weight percent cyanuric halide and wherein the total amount of glutaraldehyde and/or cyanuric halide is from about 12 to about 77 weight percent, said weight percents based on the total weight of the active ingredients in components (1) and (2).

Claim 10

A process according to claim 1 wherein the cyanuric halide is cyanuric trichloride.

Claim 11

A process according to claim 1 wherein the cross-linking product results from the reaction of 57.1 weight percent glutaraldehyde as component (1) and 42.9 weight percent of component (2), based on the total weight of the active ingredients in components (1) and (2), and such cross-linking reaction product is used in an amount of 17.5 weight percent based on the dry weight of the bacterial cells.

Claim 12

A process according to claim 1 wherein the cross-linking product results from the reaction of 54.9 weight percent glutaraldehyde and 3.6 weight percent cyanuric trichloride as component (1) and 41.5 weight percent of component (2), based on the total weight of the active ingredients in components (1) and (2), and such cross-linking reaction product is used in an amount of 18.2 weight percent based on the dry weight of the bacterial cells.

Claim 13

A process according to claim 1 wherein the cross-linking reaction product is obtained by reacting components (1) and (2) at a pH about 6 to 10 and about 0° to 30° C. for about 0.5 to 2.5 hours.

Claim 14

A process according to claim 1 wherein the recovered aggregate is then dried.

Claim 15

An aggregate of bacterial cells produced by the process of claim 1.

Claim 16

A process for producing an aggregate of Streptomyces olivaceus bacterial cells which comprises contacting a mass of such bacterial cells at pH about 8 to 9 and at about 0° to 30° C. for about 0.5 to 1.5 hours with from about 4.5 to about 60 weight percent, based on the dry weight of such cells, of a cross-linking product resulting from the reaction of (1) from about 12 to about 77 weight percent of a material selected from the class consisting of glutaraldehyde, cyanuric trichloride and combinations thereof and (2) from about 23 to about 88 weight percent of a water-soluble cationic polymer obtained by the polymerization of an epihalohydrin with an alkylene polyamine having the formula R 1 R 2 NRH 2 wherein R is a lower alkylene having from 2 to about 6 carbon atoms, and R 1 and R 2 are each a lower alkyl of from 1 to about 6 carbon atoms, the mole ratio of epihalohydrin to polyamine being from about 0.60:1 to about 2.7:1, said polymerization comprising reacting with the alkylene polyamine from about 50 to about 90 percent of the amount of epihalohydrin to be polymerized, allowing the reaction to continue until the reaction medium attains a substantially uniform viscosity, and reacting the remaining portion of the epihalohydrin incrementally to obtain the cationic polymer, the temperature of polymerization being from about 60° C. to about 120° C., said weight percents of components (1) and (2) being based on the total weight of the active ingredients in components (1) and (2), said reaction between components (1) and (2) taking place at a pH about 6 to 10 and about 0° to 30° C. for about 0.5 to 2.5 hours, and recovering the resulting aggregate.

Claim 17

A process for producing an aggregate of Streptomyces olivaceus bacterial cells which comprises contacting a mass of such bacterial cells at pH about 8 to 9 and at about 0° to 30° C. for about 0.5 to 1.5 hours with from about 4.5 to about 60 weight percent, based on the dry weight of such cells, of a cross-linking product resulting from the reaction of (1) from about 12 to about 77 weight percent of a material selected from the class consisting of glutaraldehyde, cyanuric trichloride and combinations thereof and (2) from about 23 to about 88 weight percent of a water-soluble cationic polymer obtained by the polymerization of an epihalohydrin with an alkylene polyamine having the formula R 1 R 2 NRH 2 wherein R is a lower alkylene having from 2 to about 6 carbon atoms, and R 1 and R 2 are each a lower alkyl of from 1 to about 6 carbon atoms, the mole ratio of epihalohydrin to polyamine being from about 0.60:1 to about 2.7:1, said polymerization comprising reacting with the alkylene polyamine from about 50 to about 90 percent of the amount of epihalohydrin to be polymerized, allowing the reaction to continue until the reaction medium attains a substantially uniform viscosity, and reacting the remaining portion of the epihalohydrin incrementally to obtain the cationic polymer, the temperature of polymerization being from about 60° C. to about 120° C., said weight percents of components (1) and (2) being based on the total weight of the active ingredients in components (1) and (2), said reaction between components (1) and (2) taking place at a pH about 6 to 10 and about 0° to 30° C. for about 0.5 to 2.5 hours, and recovering the resulting aggregate.

Claim 18

A process according to claim 15 wherein component (1) of the cross-linking reaction product is glutaraldehyde.

Claim 19

A process according to claim 15 wherein component (1) of the cross-linking reaction product is a combination of glutaraldehyde and cyanuric trichloride.

Claim 20

A process according to claim 15 wherein the cross-linking product results from the reaction of 57.1 weight percent glutaraldehyde as component (1) and 42.9 weight percent of component (2), based on the total weight of the active ingredients in components (1) and (2), and such cross-linking reaction product is used in an amount of 17.5 weight percent based on the dry weight of the bacterial cells.

Claim 21

A process according to claim 15 wherein the cross-linking product results from the reaction of 54.9 weight percent glutaraldehyde and 3.6 weight percent cyanuric trichloride as component (1) and 41.5 weight percent of component (2), based on the total weight of the active ingredients in components (1) and (2), and such cross-linking reaction product is used in an amount of 18.2 weight percent based on the dry weight of the bacterial cells.

Claim 22

A process according to claim 15 wherein the recovered aggregate is then dried.