Abstract: An improved method and apparatus for treating a biodegradable organic material in an aqueous medium to produce methane gas is disclosed. The method involves flowing the aqueous medium under pressure through a hydrolytic-redox, immobilized microbe bioreactor to form a reaction product and then continuing the flow of the reaction product through an anaerobic, immobilized microbe bioreactor whereby methane gas is evolved. The aqueous medium is flowed in a downward direction counter to the flow of the gaseous carbon dioxide given off during the reaction and the aqueous medium may be recycled.

Abstract: A method for processing biodegradable organic waste in an aqueous medium, which method comprises serially passing an organic waste-containing aqueous medium through a first, hydrolytic redox bioreactor and a second, anaerobic bioreactor, with each bioreactor containing immobilized microbes. The disclosure also provides an apparatus and process for determining the biochemical oxygen demand of an organic waste in an aqueous medium.

Abstract: A method for the continuous culturing of microbes in a plug-flow reactor which comprises the steps of:A. supplying medium to microbes immobilized on a porous inorganic support at a rate sufficient to maintain such microbes substantially in a logarithmic growth stateandB. removing microbe-containing effluent from the immobilized microbes at a rate equal to the medium supply rate, wherein the microbes are selected from the group consisting of bacteria, yeasts, and fungus-like organisms; such reactor is operated continuously in a substantially plug-flow mode; the immobilized microbes are substantially covered by said medium; and such porous inorganic support has a controlled porosity such that at least 70% of the pores, on a pore size distribution basis, have a pore diameter,a. in the case of bacteria, at least as large as the smallest major dimension of the microbes but less than about five times the largest major dimension of the microbes;b.

Abstract: Bacteria immobilized by adsorption on an inorganic carrier are stabilized by carrying out the adsorption procedure in the presence of from about 1 to about 20% weight per volume of sucrose of nonfat dry milk solids and lyophilizing the adsorbed bacteria.

Abstract: Immobilized microbe composite comprising a porous, high surface area inorganic support having a controlled population of microbes bonded to the internal surfaces of the pores, the support being water insoluble, non-toxic to the microbes, and having a controlled porosity such that at least 70% of the pores, on a pore size distribution basis, have a pore diameter at least as large as the smallest major dimension of the microbes but less than about five times the largest major dimension of the microbes. The composites are especially useful in situations requiring a high biomass surface within a relatively small volume.

Abstract: Immobilized microbe composite comprising a porous, high surface area inorganic support having a controlled population of fungus-like microbes bonded to the internal surfaces of the pores, the support being water insoluble, non-toxic to the microbes, and having a controlled porosity such that at least 70% of the pores, on a pore size distribution basis, have a pore diameter at least as large as the smallest diameter of the fungal spore but less than about sixteen times the largest spore diameter. The composites are especially useful in situations requiring a high biomass surface within a relatively small volume.

Abstract: Immobilized microbe composite comprising a porous, high surface area inorganic support having a controlled population of yeast cells bonded to the internal surfaces of the pores, the support being water insoluble, non-toxic to the cells, and having a controlled porosity such that at least 70% of the pores, on a pore size distribution basis, have a pore diameter at least as large as the smallest dimension of the cells but less than about four times the largest dimension of the cells. The composites are especially useful in situations requiring a high biomass surface within a relatively small volume.

Abstract: Microbial culture device containing a growth medium having incorporated therein a lipophilic fluorescent material and means associated therewith for localizing and identifying the growth of colonies of an unknown microbe, and a known gram positive microbe, and/or a known gram negative microbe. The device can be used to determine whether an unknown microbe sample is gram positive or gram negative by culturing the unknown on the medium and then comparing the fluorescence of the unknown microbes with fluorescence of similarly cultured gram positive and/or gram negative microbes.

Abstract: Biologically active proteins such as enzymes and antibodies can be chemically bonded to a variety of high surface area, inorganic supports by reacting the support surface with polymeric isocyanates and then reacting the coated surface with a dispersion of the proteins.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. FieldThe present invention is concerned generally with the immobilization of biologically active proteins and specifically with the chemical attachment of such proteins to high surface area inorganic supports.2. Prior ArtA variety of techniques have been devised to immobilize various biologically active proteins such as enzymes and antibodies onto and within high surface area inorganic supports. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,556,945 (enzymes adsorbed to porous glass); U.S. Pat. No. 3,804,719 (enzymes crosslinked within the pores of porous glass); U.S. Pat. No. 3,519,538 (enzymes coupled via intermediate silanes to various inorganics); U.S. Pat. No.

Abstract: An efficient immobilized glucose isomerase composite can be prepared by adsorbing the enzyme within the pores of a porous inorganic support having an average pore size between about 100 A and 1000 A and consisting of about 0.84% to 12.0% MgO and 99.16% to 88.0% Al.sub.2 O.sub.3, by weight.

Abstract: An efficient immobilized glucose isomerase composite can be prepared by adsorbing the enzyme within the pores of a porous inorganic support having an average pore size between about 100 A and 1000 A and consisting of about 0.84% to 12.0% MgO and 99.16% to 88.0% Al.sub.2 O.sub.3, by weight.

Abstract: Proteins such as enzymes or antibodies can be immobilized in a biologically active state on various inorganic supports via an intermediate residue of o-dianisidine.

Abstract: Enzymes can be coupled chemically to various water-insoluble inorganic carriers by reacting the carriers with 4,4'-bi(methoxybenzenediazonium chloride) to form a surface of diazo groups which are subsequently reacted with an enzyme solution to immobilize the enzymes. In preferred embodiments, the inorganic carriers are highly porous, have an average pore size of less than about 1000 A, and consist of 4-200 mesh porous particles of materials selected from the group consisting of glass, silica, alumina, and mixtures of silica and alumina.