Rijksuniversiteit Te Groningen

Rijksuniversiteit Groningen

Roland G Lageveen

Bernard Witholt

This invention relates to a process for producing polyester biopolymers by culturing Pseudomonas oleovorans bacteria on substrates comprising certain nutrients. The nature of the polyesters can be varied by varying the nature of the carbon source used. In this way polyesters with unsaturated double bonds can be produced, too. From the polyesters, optically active carboxylic acids or esters are produced. The polymers can be used for making articles of manufacture, such as sutures, films, skin and bone grafts.

Process for producing polyesters by fermentation: a process for

This invention relates to a process for the microbiological production of compounds containing a terminal hydroxyl or epoxy group from an aliphatic substrate or a substrate with an aliphatic side chain, using microorganisms genetically engineered so that they have retained their capacity to perform the terminal oxidation of the substrate, but are no longer able to convert the resulting oxidation product further to any significant extent. Preferred substrates are n-alkanes, n-alkenes, and n-alkadienes containing 6-12 carbon atoms. Preferred micro-organisms are genetically engineered Pseudomonas oleovorans and Pseudomonas putida strains lacking an active plasmidic alkanol-dehydrogenase gene. The invention also relates to micro-organisms thus genetically engineered.

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Groningen, Netherlands

Roland G Lageveen