US4504582A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Vermiculite as a carrier support for immobilized biological materials
Assignee: Genex Corp
•
Filing: 1983-02-07
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Granted: 1985-03-12
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Expires: 2003-02-07
Abstract
Abstract Biological materials are immobilized by being absorbed into vermiculite particles which then are coated with a polymeric coating material. A variety of cross-linking, condensing, and gelling agents may be used to strengthen and crosslink the polymer.
Inventors
- 👤 Wayne E. Swann
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 16:39
CPC Classifications
C; C12; C12N; C12N11/00; C12N11/14; C12N11/02; C12N11/04; C12P; C12P13/00; C12P13/04; C12P13/20; C12P13/22
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 44
Claim 1
Independent Claim
49 words
A method for immobilizing biological materials by preparing an insolubilized biological material composite comprising the steps of: (a) adding vermiculite particles to an aqueous medium of biological material; (b) allowing said aqueous medium of biological material to absorb into said vermiculite; and (c) coating said vermiculite with a polymer.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
49 words
A method for immobilizing biological materials by preparing an insolubilized biological material composite comprising the steps of: (a) adding vermiculite particles to an aqueous medium of biological material; (b) allowing said aqueous medium of biological material to absorb into said vermiculite; and (c) coating said vermiculite with a polymer.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein the coated vermiculite of step (c) is crosslinked with a cross-linking agent or condensed with a condensing agent.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the polymer is selected form the group consisting of polyalkyleneimines, polysaccharides, polyacrylamide, polyurethane, alginate, and carageenan.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
66 words
A method for immobilizing biological materials by preparing an insolubilized biological material composite comprising the steps of: (a) adding vermiculite particles to an aqueous medium of biological material; (b) allowing said aqueous medium of biological material to absorb into said vermiculite; (c) coating said vermiculite with a polyalkyleneimine polymer; and (d) crosslinking said coated vermiculite with an amine cross-linking agent or condensing with a condensing agent.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
66 words
A method for immobilizing biological materials by preparing an insolubilized biological material composite comprising the steps of: (a) adding vermiculite particles to an aqueous medium of biological material; (b) allowing said aqueous medium of biological material to absorb into said vermiculite; (c) coating said vermiculite with a polyalkyleneimine polymer; and (d) crosslinking said coated vermiculite with an amine cross-linking agent or condensing with a condensing agent.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method according to claim 4 wherein said polymer coated vermiculite is mixed with a cross-linking amount of an amine cross-linking agent to immobilize biological material within said coated vermiculite.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
36 words
A method according to claim 4 wherein said polyalkyleneimine polymer is mixed with a condensing amount of a polycarboxylic acid to produce a partially polymerized precondensed water soluble polymer before it is mixed with said vermiculite.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method according to claim 4 wherein said coated vermiculite is condensed by adding a condensing amount of a carbodiimide condensing agent under condensing conditions.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method according to claim 6 wherein said coated vermiculite is condensed by adding a condensing amount of a carbodiimide condensing agent under condensing conditions.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
32 words
A method according to claims 7 or 8, further comprising modifying the insolubilized biological material composite by post-treatment with an amine cross-linking agent to impart additional strength and stability to the composite.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8, wherein the polyalkyleneimine polymer is selected from the group consisting of polyethyleneimine, polypropyleneimine, polybutyleneimine and polypentyleneimine.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8 wherein the polyalkyleneimine polymer is polyethyleneimine.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 6 or 8 wherein the polycarboxylic acid is selected from the group consisting of maleic acid, succinic acid and adipic acid.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 7 or 8 wherein the carbodiimide condensing agent is selected from the group consisting of 1-ethyl-3,3-dimethylaminopropyl carbodiimide hydrochloride, dicyclohexyl carbodiimide, and 1-cyclohexyl 3-(2-morpholinoethyl) carbodiimidemetho-p-toluene sulphonate and salts thereof.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
30 words
A method according to claims 4 or 5 wherein said amine cross-linking agent is selected from the group consisting of glutaric dialdehyde, diisocyanates, polyisocyanates, 2,4,6-trichloro-5-triazine, bisoxirane, bisimidate, divinyl-sulfone, and 1,5-difluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method according to claim 1 or 4 wherein the amount of said biological material added to said vermiculite is about 0.001 to about 2 g. on a dry weight basis per gram of vermiculite.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 6 wherein the molar ratio of polycarboxylic acid to polyalkyleneimine is from about 1:20 to 1:0.0005.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 16, wherein the carbodiimide is employed in an amount ranging from about 0.2 to 3 times stoichiometric, relative to the polycarboxylic acid.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 16, wherein the carbodiimide is employed in an amount ranging from about 0.5 to 1.5 times stoichiometric relative to the polycarboxylic acid.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method of claim 1 or 4 wherein the biological material immobilized is selected from the group consisting of enzymes, microbial cells, antigens, antibodies, antibiotics, co-enzymes, bacteria, yeast, fungi, plant cells, animal cells, and tissue cultures.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 1 or 4 wherein the biological material is microbially produced aspartase.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
14 words
A method according to claim 1 or 4 wherein the enzyme is tryptophan synthetase.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
21 words
An insolubilized biological material composite comprising a biologically active material adsorbed into particles of vermiculite which are immobilized within a polymer.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
21 words
An insolubilized biological material composite comprising a biologically active material adsorbed into particles of vermiculite which are immobilized within a polymer.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
30 words
An insolubilized biological material composite comprising a biologically active material adsorbed into particles of vermiculite which are immobilized within a polymer, wherein said polymer is cross-linked with a cross-linking agent.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
30 words
An insolubilized biological material composite comprising a biologically active material adsorbed into particles of vermiculite which are immobilized within a polymer, wherein said polymer is cross-linked with a cross-linking agent.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
23 words
The insolubilized biological material composite of claim 23 wherein the polymer is a polyalkyleneimine and the cross-linking agent is an amine cross-linking agent.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
28 words
The composite of claim 24 wherein the amine cross-linking agent is selected from the group consisting of glutaric dialdehyde, diisocyanates, polyisocyanates, 2,4,6-trichloro-S-triazine, bisoxirane, bisimidate, divinyl sulfone, and 1,5-difluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
13 words
The composite of claim 24 wherein the amine cross-linking agent is glutaric dialdehyde.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
30 words
An insolubilized biological material composite comprising a biologically active material adsorbed into particles of vermiculite which are immobilized within a polymer wherein said polymer is condensed with a condensing agent.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
30 words
An insolubilized biological material composite comprising a biologically active material adsorbed into particles of vermiculite which are immobilized within a polymer wherein said polymer is condensed with a condensing agent.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
23 words
The insolubilized biological material composite of claim 27 wherein the polymer is a polyalkyleneimine and the condensing agent is a carbodiimide condensing agent.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
26 words
The composite of claim 28 wherein the condensing agent is selected from the group consisting of 1-ethyl-3,3-dimethylaminopropylcarbodiimide hydrochloride, dicyclohexyl carbodiimide, and 1-cyclohexyl-3(2-morpholinoethyl)carbodiimide-metho-p-toluene sulphonate and salts thereof.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
23 words
The composite of claim 24 or 26 wherein the polyalkyleneimine polymer is selected from the group consisting of polyethyleneimine, polypropyleneimine, polybutyleneimine, and polypentyleneimine.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
39 words
The composite of claim 22, 23, 24, 27 or 28 wherein the biologically active material is selected from the group consisting of enzymes, microbial cells, antigens, antibodies, antibiotics, coenzymes, plant cells, animal cells, bacteria, yeast, fungi and tissue cultures.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
17 words
the composite of claim 22, 23, 24, 27 or 28 wherein the biologically active material is aspartase.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
18 words
The composite of claim 22, 23, 24, 27 or 28 wherein the biologically active material is tryptophan synthetase.
Claim 39
Independent Claim
56 words
A method for producing aspartic acid comprising contacting, under aspartic acid producing conditions, a substrate containing ammonium fumarate with an insolubilized biological material composite of aspartase or aspartase containing microbial cells absorbed into vermiculite particles and immobilized within a polymer, wherein the immobilized vermiculite is cross-linked with a cross-linking agent or condensed with a condensing agent.
Claim 40
Independent Claim
56 words
A method for producing aspartic acid comprising contacting, under aspartic acid producing conditions, a substrate containing ammonium fumarate with an insolubilized biological material composite of aspartase or aspartase containing microbial cells absorbed into vermiculite particles and immobilized within a polymer, wherein the immobilized vermiculite is cross-linked with a cross-linking agent or condensed with a condensing agent.
Claim 41
Independent Claim
57 words
A method for producing tryptophan comprising contacting, under tryptophan producing conditions, a substrate containing indole and serine with an insolubilized biological material composite of tryptophan synthetase or tryptophan synthetase containing microbial cells absorbed into vermiculite particles and immobilized within a polymer, wherein the immobilized vermiculite is cross-linked with a cross-linking agent or condensed with a condensing agent.
Claim 42
Independent Claim
57 words
A method for producing tryptophan comprising contacting, under tryptophan producing conditions, a substrate containing indole and serine with an insolubilized biological material composite of tryptophan synthetase or tryptophan synthetase containing microbial cells absorbed into vermiculite particles and immobilized within a polymer, wherein the immobilized vermiculite is cross-linked with a cross-linking agent or condensed with a condensing agent.
Claim 43
Independent Claim
41 words
A method for producing L-phenylalanine comprising contacting, under L-phenylalanine producing conditions, a substrate containing ammonium cinnamate with an insolubilized biological material composite of phenylalanine ammonia lyase or phenylalanine ammonia lyase-containing microbial cells absorbed into vermiculite particles and immobilized within a polymer.
Claim 44
Independent Claim
41 words
A method for producing L-phenylalanine comprising contacting, under L-phenylalanine producing conditions, a substrate containing ammonium cinnamate with an insolubilized biological material composite of phenylalanine ammonia lyase or phenylalanine ammonia lyase-containing microbial cells absorbed into vermiculite particles and immobilized within a polymer.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1988-03-11 | 1988-09-10 | 1989-03-12 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1992-03-11 | 1992-09-10 | 1993-03-12 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1996-03-11 | 1996-09-10 | 1997-03-12 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |