Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the manufacture of microporous carbon materials to perform selective separations of nitrogen in gas mixtures such as hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide, methane and C2, C3 and C4+ hydrocarbons, with high efficiency, shaped of microspheres or cylinders from copolymers of poly (vinylidene chloride-co-methyl acrylate) with density of 1.3 to 1.85 g/cm·sup·3 or poly (vinylidene chloride-co-vinyl chloride) with density of 1.3 to 1.85 g/cm.sup.3, using two stages. The first stage consists of a surface passivation of the material by chemical attack in a highly alkaline alcohol solution, with the aim of effecting a precarbonization on the surface of the copolymer that during the pyrolysis process is not deformed and gradually develops microporosity. The material of the first stage presents, in the layer, percentages between 55% to 85% carbon, between 5% to 20% oxygen, and between 10% to 40% chlorine.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for the detection and/or quantification of Streptococcus pneumoniae, a Gram-positive bacteria that is an important human pathogen, in an isolated biological sample, through magneto-amperometric biosensors, comprising detecting fragments of lytA gene of the microorganism, amplified through PCR, preferably asymmetric PCR or direct asymmetric PCR, by hybridization thereof to a specific probe fully complementary to a region of the amplified fragment. Furthermore, the present invention also relates to the use of primers SEQ ID NO: 3 and 4 together with probes SEQ ID NO: 1 and/or SEQ ID NO: 2 to perform the detection. The biosensor developed to detect S. pneumoniae can be applied to different types of clinical samples from patients infected with this bacterium or other related bacteria. Preferably the clinical sample is an isolated biological fluid such as blood, cerebrospinal fluid, saliva or urine.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the synthesis of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) and PHAs obtained by the said process and the use of the said PHAs. The PHAs of the present invention, called PHACOS, have a novel monomeric composition, as they contain monomers with thioester groups in the side chain that confer new physicochemical properties and allow subsequent chemical modification.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for the detection and/or quantification of Streptococcus pneumoniae, a Gram-positive bacteria that is an important human pathogen, in an isolated biological sample, through magneto-amperometric biosensors, comprising detecting fragments of lytA gene of said microorganism, amplified through PCR, preferably asymmetric PCR or direct asymmetric PCR, by means of the hybridization thereof to a specific probe fully complementary to a region of said amplified fragment. Furthermore, the present invention also relates to the use of primers SEQ ID NO: 3 and 4 together with probes SEQ ID NO: 1 and/or SEQ ID NO: 2 to perform said detection. The biosensor developed to detect S. pneumoniae can be applied to different types of clinical samples from patients infected with this bacterium or other related bacteria. Preferably the clinical sample is an isolated biological fluid such as blood, cerebrospinal fluid, saliva or urine.

Abstract: Enzymatic process for the preparation of cephalosporanic 7&bgr;-(4-carboxybutanamide) acid by using the modified enzyme D-aminoacid oxidase of Trigonopsis variabilis produced in Escherichia coli. The process for the expression of the enzyme comprises: (I) isolating the DNA corresponding to gene which codes for the enzyme D-aminoacid oxidase; (II) removing the intron which is contained in said gene; (III) inserting the DNA fragment obtained into the plasmide which is capable of replication in Escherichia coli; (IV) fusing at the extremity 5′ of the structural region of the gene a synthetic assembler which contains a nucleotide sequence which codes for six histidines; (V) transforming a strain of Escherichia coli with the resulting recombinant plasmide; (VI) cultivating the transformed cells of Escherichia coli; and (VII) recovering the enzyme D-aminoacid oxidase of the former cultivation operation through affinity chromatography.

Abstract: Enzymatic process for the preparation of cephalosporanic 7?-(4-carboxybutananude) acid by using the modified enzyme D-aminoacid oxidase of Trigonopsis variabilis produced in Escherichia coli. The process for the expression of the enzyme comprises: (I) isolating the DNA corresponding to gene which codes for the enzyme D-aminoacid oxidase; (II) removing the intron which is contained in said gene; (III) inserting the DNA fragment obtained into the plasmide which is capable of replication in Escherichia coli; (IV) fusing at the extremity 5′ of the structural region of the gene a synthetic assembler which contains a nucleotide sequence which codes for six histidines; (V) transforming a strain of Escherichia coli with the resulting recombinant plasmide; (VI) cultivating the transformed cells of Escherichia coli; and (VII) recovering the enzyme D-aminoacid oxidase of the former cultivation operation through affinity chromatography.

Abstract: Process for producing the enzyme D-amino acid oxydase of Rhodotorula gracilis in host cells. The process for the expression of the enzyme comprises isolating the complementary DNA corresponding to the messager RNA of the gene which codes for the D-amino acid oxydase of any strain of Rhodotorula gracillis producing said enzyme; fusing the fragment of DNA which codes for D-amino acid oxydase of Rhodotorula gracillis with a DNA sequence which contains a site of union to the ribosome and a high efficiency promoter sequence for the express of genes in host cells; inserting the DNA fragment into a plasmid appropriate for the host cell; cultivating the host cells transformed with said plasmid; and collecting the enzyme.

Abstract: A procedure for producing a modified 7.beta.-(4-carboxybutanamide) cephalosporinase enzyme which can be purified in a single chromatographic step. The procedure for production of the enzyme involves: mutagenizing the gene which codes for the enzyme from Acinetobacter sp. ATCC 53891 by inserting a nucleotide sequence coding for six histidine residues; fusing the mutant gene with high-efficiency promoter DNA sequences; transforming Escherichia coli cells with the fusion gene construct; growing the transformed Escherichia coli cells; and recovering the enzyme by the use of supports which contain metal chelates. 7-Aminocephalosporanic acid is an important intermediate for the manufacture of a wide range of antibacterial agents of the cephalosporin family.