Claims
- 1. A method of preparing an immobilized water-soluble biocatalyst comprising living cells in particulate form consisting essentially of the steps of:
- (a) suspending the living cells in an aqueous solution of a gelling agent,
- (b) combining the mixture so obtained with an organic liquid poorly miscible or immiscible in water to form a suspension in the organic liquid of aqueous particles comprising the living cells and gelling agent,
- (c) treating the suspension to gel the gelling agent in the particles,
- (d) treating the particles obtained in step (c) with a bi- or polyfunctional cross-linking agent to covalently crosslink the gelling agent in the particles, and
- (e) removing at least part of the water from the particles obtained in step (d) to obtain particles with a dry matter content of at least 15% by weight.
- 2. A method according to claim 1 wherein an enzyme, compatible with the living cells and gelling agent, is introduced into the suspension of step (a) and/or is introduced into the gelling suspension during cross-linking step (d).
- 3. The method of claim 1 wherein water is removed from the particles in Step (e) by osmotic shrinking.
- 4. The method of claim 1 wherein water is removed from the particles in Step (e) by a fluidized bed drier.
- 5. The method of claim 3 wherein the particles are further dried by a fluidized bed drier.
Priority Claims (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
85-201883.7 |
Nov 1985 |
EPX |
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86-304578.7 |
Jun 1986 |
EPX |
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PRIOR APPLICATION
This application in a division of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 547,868 filed Jul. 2, 1990, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,137,818, which in turn is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 088,849 filed Jul. 8, 1987, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (11)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
0052829 |
Jun 1982 |
EPX |
Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
547868 |
Jul 1990 |
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Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
88849 |
Jul 1987 |
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