Claims
- 1. A process for the enzymatic oxidation of alcohols to aldehydes in a continuous reaction system with two reactors operating in series comprising:
- continuously producing a fermenter effluent containing growing, intact Candida boidinii cells at a cell concentration of about 0.5 to about 3% by weight of the effluent by continuous culture of the Candida boidinii cells using a carbon source consisting essentially of methanol in the first reactor, said Candida boidinii cells having intracellular methanol oxidase and catalase activity,
- continuously introducing the effluent from the first reactor without purification of the effluent, to the second reactor,
- adding an alcohol feed and oxygen to the second reactor to form the reaction mixture, said reaction mixture comprising about 0.2% to about 10% by weight of said feed alcohol, the alcohol being selected from the group consisting of ethanol, n-propanol, n-butanol, 2-chloroethanol, 2-bromoethanol, allyl alcohol, 2-buten-1-ol, benzyl alcohol and mixtures thereof,
- enzymatically oxidizing said alcohol in the reaction mixture to its aldehyde while maintaining a steady-state aldehyde and alcohol concentration in the reaction mixture wherein said alcohol concentration is about 0.1 to about 9% by weight of the reaction mixture by controlling the rates of introduction of said effluent and alcohol feed to the reaction mixture and,
- recovering the aldehyde from the reaction mixture.
- 2. The process of claim 1 wherein said temperature of the first reactor is maintained at about 20.degree. C. to about 35.degree. C., pressure is maintained at about 0 atmospheres to about 3 atmospheres, and pH is maintained at about 2.5 to about 8.
- 3. The process of claim 1 wherein said temperature of the second reactor is maintained at about 5.degree. C. to about 37.degree. C., pressure is maintained at about 0 atmospheres to about 3 atmospheres, and pH is maintained at about 6 to about 8.
- 4. The process of claim 1 wherein oxygen is supplied by sparging air into the second reactor.
- 5. The process of claim 4 wherein said air is sparged at the rate of about 0.1 to about 2 volume air/volume liquid/min.
- 6. The process of claim 1 wherein oxygen is supplied by adding hydrogen peroxide to the second reactor which is reduced by said catalase.
- 7. The process of claim 1 wherein said oxidase concentration in the first reactor is about 0.1 units/ml to about 20 units/ml.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/165,748, filed Dec. 10, 1993, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (11)
Non-Patent Literature Citations (3)
Entry |
Duff et al., Biotech Bioengin 31:44-49 (1988). |
Duff et al., Enzyme Microb Technol 11:770-775 (1989). |
Kempt et al (1988) Appl. Microbiol Biotechnol, 29, 370-374. |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
165748 |
Dec 1993 |
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