Penick & Ford, Limited

Robert Ernest Brouillard

Hirschel A Katz

Howard L Muenchow

A dimensionally stable glucose isomerase composition having improved hydraulic characteristics and suitable for continuous column isomerization of glucose to fructose is produced by incorporating a low density, high surface area silica such as fumed silica into wet whole microorganism cells, and extruding and drying the cells to obtain the cells in particulate form suitable for continuous column use. This technique is also applicable to microorganism cells containing other enzymes.

Whole cell enzyme composition containing fumed silica

A column apparatus and process is provided for immobilized enzyme reactions using a bed of starch in sponge form, the starch having been chemically modified to incorporate enzyme-immobilzing groups. The starch sponge bed of the column apparatus has a flow of direction length of 2 to 5 feet or more, and a water flow porosity such that over 0.5 (preferably over 1.0) gal.water/min.ft..sup.2 flows through the bed. The apparatus and process can be used with a wide variety of enzymes. It has applicability to the enzymatic conversion of starch hydrolysates, since the starch forming the sponge bed can be cross-linked to increase its resistance to enzyme attack. Starch-derived sugar syrups having D.E.'s of 40 to 97 can be produced. Also, isomerization of glucose syrups can be carried out to produce a syrup of enhanced sweetness, comprising a mixture of glucose and fructose.

Starch sponge column apparatus and process for immobilized enzyme

A column apparatus and process is provided for immobilized enzyme reactions using a bed of regenerated sponge material chemically modified to incorporate enzyme-immobilizing groups. The sponge material selected for use in column apparatus has a flow of direction length of 2 to 5 feet or more, a density of less than 1 gram for each 18 cc. of bed volume (e.g. 1 g./20-70 cc. bed vol.), and a water flow porosity such that over 0.5 (preferably over 1.0) gal. water/min./ft..sup.2 flows through the bed. The apparatus and process can be used with a wide variety of enzymes, but has particular applicability to the enzymatic conversion of starch hydrolysates. Starch-derived sugar syrups having D.E.'s of 40 to 97 can be produced. Also, isomerization of glucose syrups can be carried out to produce a syrup of enhanced sweetness, comprising a mixture of glucose and fructose.

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Cedar Rapids, IA, United States of America

Robert Ernest Brouillard