Abstract: The invention relates to a novel process for preparing 3-hydroxyphenylacetic acid by cultivating a fungus of the genus Rhizoctonia, Ceratobasidium and Pellicularia in the presence of a phenyl compound of the formula I ##STR1## where X is COOR, CH.sub.2 OH, CH.sub.2 NH.sub.2 or ##STR2## R is methyl, ethyl, hydrogen, sodium, potassium or ammonium.

Abstract: Mixtures of optically active cyclohexenone oxime ethers having R- and S-configuration in the oxime ether moiety of the formula I ##STR1## (R.sup.1 =C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 -alkyl; ##STR2## X=C.sub.1-C.sub.4 -alkyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 -haloalkyl; m=0-3 or 1-4 where all X's are halogen;n=0-3 or 1-5 where all X's are halogen;R.sup.2 =C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 -alkoxy-C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 -alkyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 -alkylthio-C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 -alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted C.sub.3 -C.sub.7 -cycloalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted C.sub.5 -C.sub.7 -cycloalkenyl, substituted or unsubstituted 5-membered saturated heterocyclic structure, substituted or unsubstituted 6- or 7-membered heterocyclic structure, substituted or unsubstituted 5-membered heteroaromatic structure, substituted or unsubstituted phenyl or pyridyl)and their agriculturally useful salts and esters with C.sub.1 -C.sub.10 -carboxylic acids and inorganic acids.

Abstract: (2R)-1-(Aryloxy)-3-(butyryloxy)-2-propanols of the general formula (I), ##STR1## where Ar is a monocyclic or polycyclic aromatic or heteroaromatic radical, and a process for their preparation by the reaction of (2R)-glycidyl butyrate with an aromatic hydroxy compound Ar--OH in the presence of a quaternary ammonium halide.

Abstract: Immobilized lipase is prepared by forming a mixture of hydrophilized polyolefin fibers, crude porcine pancreas lipase, one or more water soluble dihydric to hexahydric aliphatic alcohols of 2 to 6 carbons and an aqueous buffer solution of pH 5-9 at a temperature of 0.degree. to 40.degree. C., allowing the mixture to stand for 1 minute to 3 days, filtering the mixture and washing the resultant filter cake. The dihydric to hexahydric alcohol may be combined with one or more water soluble monohydric alcohols having 1 to 4 carbon atoms. The immobilized lipase is used for resolving racemates of esters of racemic alcohols in an aqueous medium.

Abstract: Lipase is immobilized by mixing a substrate, a crude porcine pancreatic lipase, an aqueous buffer solution at pH 5-9 and one or more water-soluble polyhydric aliphatic alcohols having from 2 to 6 carbon atoms and from 2 to 6 hydroxyl groups at a temperature of from 0.degree. to 40.degree. C. to form a mixture, allowing the mixture to stand for from 1 minute to 3 days, filtering the mixture to produce a filter cake and washing the cake to obtain the immobilized lipase. The substrate is a pulverulent, insoluble, only slightly swellable copolymer of one or more N-vinyllactams of 4 to 6 carbon atoms with a cyclic amide which contains two or more ethylenically unsaturated, copolymerizable groups, one or more of which are bonded directly to amide nitrogen. The polyhydric aliphatic alcohol can be combined with one or more water-soluble monohydric alcohols having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms.

Abstract: Enzymes are immobilized by mixing the following components with one another in aqueous solution:(a) an enzyme or a dispersed microorganism,(b) a water-soluble glycidyl ether, prepared by subjecting from 1 to 30 equivalents of an epoxide of the formula I ##STR1## where R.sup.1, R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 are each hydrogen, methyl or ethyl, to an addition reaction with 1 equivalent (based on OH groups) of a polyfunctional alcohol of 2 to 6 carbon atoms or of a mono- or disaccharide to produce an adduct, reacting the adduct with epichlorohydrin and, if required, then carrying out cyclization to give the epoxide, and(c) a water-soluble amine possessing two or more NH groups, if necessary in a partially neutralized form,and allowing the mixture thus obtained to gel.

Abstract: Racemic carboxylic acid esters of epoxy alcohols are enantio selectively hydrolyzed with hydrolytic enzymes to provide chiral epoxy alcohol and chiral unhydrolyzed ester.