Patents Assigned to Bio-Polymer Research Co., Ltd.
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Publication number: 20030032148Abstract: Novel cellulose-producing bacteria including one capable of producing of a bacterial cellulose having a weight-average degree of polymerization in terms of polystyrene of 1.6×104 or above, one capable of producing a bacterial cellulose containing a small amount of the fraction with low degrees of polymerization, one producing a Bingham polysaccharide as a by-product, and one producing a small amount of water-soluble polysaccharide; a method for the production of bacterial cellulose, which comprises culturing these cellulose-producing bacteria; and bacterial cellulose thus obtained.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 5, 2002Publication date: February 13, 2003Applicant: Bio-Polymer Research Co., Ltd.Inventors: Kunihiko Watanabe, Hiroshi Takemura, Mari Tabuchi, Naoki Tahara, Hiroshi Toyosaki, Yasushi Morinaga, Takayasu Tsuchida, Hisato Yano, Fumihiro Yoshinaga
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Publication number: 20010044138Abstract: Novel cellulose-producing bacteria including one capable of producing of a bacterial cellulose having a weight-average degree of polymerization in terms of polystyrene of 1.6×104 or above, one capable of producing a bacterial cellulose containing a small amount of the fraction with low degrees of polymerization, one producing a Bingham polysaccharide as a by-product, and one producing a small amount of water-soluble polysaccharide; a method for the production of bacterial cellulose, which comprises culturing these cellulose-producing bacteria; and bacterial cellulose thus obtained.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 1, 2001Publication date: November 22, 2001Applicant: Bio-Polymer Research Co., Ltd.Inventors: Kunihiko Watanabe, Hiroshi Takemura, Mari Tabuchi, Naoki Tahara, Hiroshi Toyosaki, Yasushi Morinaga, Takayasu Tsuchida, Hisato Yano, Fumihiro Yoshinaga
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Patent number: 6316251Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide novel genes and gene group involved in cellulose synthesis of microorganisms. The present invention relates to a gene group encoding cellulase, cellulose synthase complex, &bgr;-glucosidase and the like, and to novel &bgr;-glucosidase.Type: GrantFiled: April 8, 1999Date of Patent: November 13, 2001Assignee: Bio-Polymer Research Co., Ltd.Inventors: Naoto Tonouchi, Takayasu Tsuchida, Fumihiro Yoshinaga, Naoki Tahara, Hisato Yano, Takahisa Hayashi
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Patent number: 6153413Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide a convenient method for restoring the various properties of BC even after it is once dried.The present invention relates to a method for processing a bacterial cellulose comprising dehydrating and drying under tension the bacterial cellulose produced in an agitated culture followed by homogenization, and to a method for processing a bacterial cellulose comprising dehydrating and drying the bacterial cellulose produced in an agitated culture under such conditions that a degree of planar orientation (h1/h2) (wherein h1 and h2 mean the height of a peak originating in the crystallographic plane (110) and the crystallographic plane (110), respectively, in a diffraction curve obtained with X-ray diffractometry by a reflection method) will be 2 or more, followed by homogenization.An excellent retention aid for fillers and sheet with a high strength may be prepared by using the bacterial cellulose obtained by the above methods.Type: GrantFiled: May 27, 1998Date of Patent: November 28, 2000Assignee: Bio-Polymer Research Co., Ltd.Inventors: Kunihiko Watanabe, Akira Shibata, Hiroshi Ougiya, Nobuya Hioki, Yasushi Morinaga
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Patent number: 6140105Abstract: Novel cellulose-producing bacteria including one capable of producing of a bacterial cellulose having a weight-average degree of polymerization in terms of polystyrene of 1.6.times.10.sup.4 or above, one capable of producing a bacterial cellulose containing a small amount of the fraction with low degrees of polymerization, one producing a Bingham polysaccharide as a by-product, and one producing a small amount of water-soluble polysaccharide; a method for the production of bacterial cellulose, which comprises culturing these cellulose-producing bacteria; and bacterial cellulose thus obtained.Type: GrantFiled: July 23, 1999Date of Patent: October 31, 2000Assignee: Bio-Polymer Research Co., Ltd.Inventors: Kunihiko Watanabe, Hiroshi Takemura, Mari Tabuchi, Naoki Tahara, Hiroshi Toyosaki, Yasushi Morinaga, Takayasu Tsuchida, Hisato Yano, Fumihiro Yoshinaga
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Patent number: 6132998Abstract: An object of the present invention is to obtain the high production rate and yield of BC. The present invention relates to a process for the production of cellulosic material at a production rate of 0.4 g/L/hr or more, which comprises culturing cellulose-producing bacteria while maintaining the concentration of the residual sugars in a culture broth at 20 g/L or less, and to a process for the production of cellulosic material at a production rate of 0.4 g/L/hr or more, which comprises culturing cellulose-producing bacteria in a culture medium containing a factor which improves an apparent affinity of substrate for sugars.Type: GrantFiled: February 26, 1998Date of Patent: October 17, 2000Assignee: Bio-Polymer Research Co., Ltd.Inventors: Takaaki Naritomi, Tohru Kouda, Michi Naritomi, Hisato Yano, Fumihiro Yoshinaga
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Patent number: 6110712Abstract: This invention relates to a microorganism that is capable of producing a cellulosic product (referred to hereinafter as a "cellulose-producing bacterium") and belongs to a novel subspecies which is substantialy negative or very slightly positive in oxidation of acetates and lactates. This invention also relates to novel saccharide analog-resistant strains, amino acid analog-resistant strains and levan sucrase-defective strains. Further, this invention relates to a method for the production of cellulosic material (bacterial cellulose:"BC"), which comprises culturing these novel bactria and to bacterial cellulose which may be thus obtained. A larger amount of bacterial cellulose may be produced by culturing Acetobacter xylinum subsp. nonacetoxidans, the present resistant strains and the levan sucrase-defective strains, which have been derived and bred from the cellulose-producing bacteria, than by culturing the BPR 2001 strain in the medium containing especially sucrose or glucose as carbon sources.Type: GrantFiled: March 23, 1999Date of Patent: August 29, 2000Assignee: Bio-Polymer Research Co., Ltd.Inventors: Takayasu Tsuchida, Naoto Tonouchi, Akira Seto, Yukiko Kojima, Masanobu Matsuoka, Fumihiro Yoshinaga
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Patent number: 6069136Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide a simple and economical method for the production of BC having improved properties such as dispesibility, suspensibility and viscosity.Type: GrantFiled: March 16, 1998Date of Patent: May 30, 2000Assignee: Bio-Polymer Research Co., Ltd.Inventors: Naoki Tahara, Kunihiko Watanabe, Nobuya Hioki, Yasushi Morinaga, Tadahiko Hajouda, Hiroshi Miyashita, Akira Shibata, Hiroshi Ougiya
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Patent number: 6017740Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the production of cellulosic material which comprises culturing a cellulose-producing bacterium while maintaining the internal pressure within the fermentation tank at about 1.1 kg/cm.sup.2 A or more, preferably at about 1.2 kg/cm.sup.2 A or more, more preferably at about 1.5 kg/cm.sup.2 A or more, generally in the later stage of the cultivation (the growth decline phase and stationary phase), namely, at the stage where a concentration of the cellulosic material in a culture medium reaches about 10 g/L or more, preferably about 12 g/L or more; at the culturing stage where an apparent density of the culture medium at 10 rad/s or 1 l/s reaches about 10 Pa.s or more; at the culturing stage where the K value (consistency index) reaches about 10 Pa.s.sup.n or more considering that rheology follows the Power law model; or at the stage where the oxygen-demand of the culture medium reaches about 35 mmol/L.hr or more.Type: GrantFiled: August 7, 1997Date of Patent: January 25, 2000Assignee: Bio-Polymer Research Co., Ltd.Inventors: Tohru Kouda, Takaaki Naritomi, Hisato Yano, Fumihiro Yoshinaga
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Patent number: 6013490Abstract: A method for the production of a bacterial cellulose by cultivating a cellulose-producing bacteria for at least a certain period of time under such an apparatus condition that an oxygen-transfer coefficient (K.sub.L a) is about 25 to about 50/hr, said K.sub.L a is determined by using a simulated suspension containing 2% by weight of BC and having a plastic viscosity of 15 to 20 poise.Type: GrantFiled: March 25, 1997Date of Patent: January 11, 2000Assignee: Bio-Polymer Research Co., Ltd.Inventors: Tohru Kouda, Yasuhisa Nagata, Hisato Yano, Fumihiro Yoshinaga
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Patent number: 5962277Abstract: Novel cellulose-producing bacteria including one capable of producing of a bacterial cellulose having a weight-average degree of polymerization in terms of polystyrene of 1.6.times.10.sup.4 or above, one capable of producing a bacterial cellulose containing a small amount of the fraction with low degrees of polymerization, one producing a Bingham polysaccharide as a by-product, and one producing a small amount of water-soluble polysaccharide; a method for the production of bacterial cellulose, which comprises culturing these cellulose-producing bacteria; and bacterial cellulose thus obtained.Type: GrantFiled: January 9, 1998Date of Patent: October 5, 1999Assignee: Bio-Polymer Research Co., Ltd.Inventors: Kunihiko Watanabe, Hiroshi Takemura, Mari Tabuchi, Naoki Tahara, Hiroshi Toyosaki, Yasushi Morinaga, Takayasu Tsuchida, Hisato Yano, Fumihiro Yoshinaga
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Patent number: 5962278Abstract: This invention relates to a microorganism that is capable of producing a cellulosic product (referred to hereinafter as a "cellulose-producing bacterium") and belongs to a novel subspecies which is substantialy negative or very slightly positive in oxidation of acetates and lactates. This invention also relates to novel saccharide analog-resistant strains, amino acid analog-resistant strains and levan sucrase-defective strains.Further, this invention relates to a method for the production of cellulosic material (bacterial cellulose: "BC"), which comprises culturing these novel bactria and to bacterial cellulose which may be thus obtained.A larger amount of bacterial cellulose may be produced by culturing Acetobacter xylinum subsp. nonacetoxidans, the present resistant strains and the levan sucrase-defective strains, which have been derived and bred from the cellulose-producing bacteria, than by culturing the BPR 2001 strain in the medium containing especially sucrose or glucose as carbon sources.Type: GrantFiled: February 3, 1998Date of Patent: October 5, 1999Assignee: Bio-Polymer Research Co., Ltd.Inventors: Takayasu Tsuchida, Naoto Tonouchi, Akira Seto, Yukiko Kojima, Masanobu Matsuoka, Fumihiro Yoshinaga
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Patent number: 5792630Abstract: A method for the production of a cellulosic product, which comprises:culturing a cellulose-producing microorganism transformed with a gene for an enzyme involved in sucrose metabolism in a medium containing sucrose, allowing the cellulosic product to be produced and accumulated in the medium, and collecting the cellulosic product. By the present method, the cellulosic product can be produced efficiently and economically.Type: GrantFiled: March 29, 1996Date of Patent: August 11, 1998Assignee: Bio-Polymer Research Co., Ltd.Inventors: Naoto Tonouchi, Takayasu Tsuchida, Fumihiro Yoshinaga, Sueharu Horinouchi, Teruhiko Beppu, Hideshi Yanase, Takahisa Hayashi
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Patent number: 5580782Abstract: Acetobacter sp. strain BPR 2001, an endogeneous plasmid named pAH4 derived from said strain as well as shuttle vectors constructed from said plasmid and an E. coli-derived plasmid are disclosed.These shuttle vectors can be advantageously used for gene recombination of cellulose-producing acetic acid bacteria.Type: GrantFiled: December 23, 1994Date of Patent: December 3, 1996Assignee: Bio-Polymer Research Co., Ltd.Inventors: Teruhiko Beppu, Naoto Tonouchi, Sueharu Horinouchi, Takayasu Tsuchida