Hitachi, Ltd.

Agency of Industrial Science and Technology

Hitachi Electronics Engineering Co., Ltd.

Yoji Odawara

Masahiko Ishida

Norio Shimizu

Ryoichi Haga

Shinichi Fukuzono

Tadashi Ishibashi

Nobuko Nishimura

Ryooichi Haga

Yasunori Masaki

Kiyoshi Fujimori

Sankichi Takahashi

Katsuya Ebara

Kiyoshi Fujiwara

Hideo Kawaguchi

Tomoaki Sumitani

Fukuo Iwaya

Kouji Takeuchi

Kensaku Takahashi

Michio Okuma

Tatuhito Tuji

Masumi Nukumi

Katsujiro Shibayama

Toshiharu Kurihara

Keiko Masuda

Expression of a desired gene and production of a product from the desired gene can be obtained effectively by cultivating a microorganism containing a hybrid plasmid comprising the desired gene, a vector and a promoter in its cell, and adding an inducer and a nutriment simultaneously to the culture medium at the time when the nutriment originally present in the culture medium is almost consumed.

Process for controlling cultures of recombinants

This invention relates to an efficient process for culturing recombinant cells which comprises a step of removing a cell proliferation inhibiting substance and/or a substance which inhibits induction of the desired product and a step of inducing production of the desired product.

Process for culturing recombinant cells

By culturing cells in an apparatus containing a first zone in which a cell suspended medium is present and a second zone in which liquid containing a physiological saline solution and/or nutrient sources is present, the first zone being separated from the second zone by a septum with characteristics, such as pores size or electrostatic charges, which impedes the cells from freely permeating through, while allowing at least one of nutrient sources, cell wastes or the product to move between the first zone and the second zone via the septum to proliferate cells in the first zone, wherein a flow rate via the septum is controlled in such a manner that the cell count moved from the first zone into the second zone via the septum does not exceed the cell count increased by cell growth in the first zone. Thus, cell culture at a high cell density can be achieved in a large scale.

Apparatus containing a septum which impedes cell permeation for cell

Cultivation of microorganisms or animal cells or plant cells is carried out to produce high density cultivation, high cell yield and high production of desired metabolite products by monitoring acetate concentration in culture broth and regulating assimilation of acetate in the culture broth by the microorganisms or animal cells or plant cells to control the acetate concentration to a set value or less. Preferably, an acetic acid-producing bacterium that is inhibited by acetic acid and is capable of assimilating acetic acid is cultured to produce biologically active substances such as enzymes. The bacterium may be a recombinant Escherichia coli and an inducer which acts on a promoter in an expression vector is added to produce the desired metabolite product. The inducer is 3-.beta.- indolylacrylic acid when the promoter is trp-promoter or isopropyl-.beta.-D-thiogalactoside when the promoter is lac-promoter or tacpromoter.

Production of substances with an acetic acid-producing and assimilating

A method of controlling culture wherein cells are aerobically cultured to produce metabolite is characterized by adding substrate and/or inducer to the culture broth, judging the endpoint of the growth of the cells and/or the production of the metabolite or terminating the culture under the guidance of a change in the ratio of the first parameter based on the amount of carbon dioxide evolved by the cell culture to the second parameter based on the amount of oxygen consumed by the cell culture. The ratio is a respiratory quotient, for instance.

Method of controlling culture

This invention provides a process for easily recovering nearly white starch and protein having a high commercial value by depressing darkening of crushed slurry and juice in producing starch and protein of a subterranean stem. The above-mentioned process is characterized by adding at least one member selected from the group consisting of sodium thiosulfate, potassium thiosulfate, sodium hydrogen sulfite, sodium sulfite and potassium sulfite at the time of crushing the subterranean stem.

Process for recovering subterranean stem starch and protein

An apparatus for automatically transferring a desired one of bacterial colonies grown in a medium in a culture Petri dish onto a medium in a test Petri dish or a test tube by using a bacterial colony pick-up/transfer element of the disposable type or a bacterial colony pick-up/transfer element of the reuse type and by using various mechanisms controlled by a computer.

Automatic bacterial colony transfer apparatus

The present invention relates to an anaerobic digestion process of wastes containing cellulose, in which, after liquefying by bringing wastes containing cellulose in slurry state into contact with facultative anaerobic bacteria with pH adjusted between 6.5-8.0 and oxidation-reduction potential controlled between -50-300 mV with oxygen supply, the liquefied slurry is then converted into methane and carbon dioxide by bringing it into contact with obligatory anaerobic bacteria to recover methane efficiently.

Anaerobic digestion process of wastes containing cellulose

The present invention relates to an anaerobic digestion process for organic wastes with a high efficiency and an improved recovery rate of methane. This process comprises the following steps: (1) anaerobically digesting organic wastes under simultaneous presence of facultative anaerobic bacteria and obligatory anaerobic bacteria, (2) separating the anaerobically digested slurry obtained from the step (1) into a liquor fraction containing the two groups of bacteria and an undecomposed solid fraction, (3) mixing the liquor fraction obtained from the step (2) with the surplus activated sludge slurry produced by anaerobically treating organic waste water, under anaerobic condition, (4) separating the mixed slurry obtained from the step (3) into a solid fraction containing the surplus activated sludge which has absorbed the two groups of bacteria and a liquor fraction, and recycling back the solid fraction obtained from the step (4) as the sources of the two groups of bacteria and nitrogen to the step (1).

Anaerobic digestion process for organic wastes

The disclosure is concerned with a pretreatment process for removing lignin from lignocellulosic material so as to enhance enzymatic or microbial decomposability of cellulose. The pretreatment process comprises wetting lignocellulosic material with an alkaline aqueous solution in a manner that interstices between the cellulosic material remain, and exposing the wetted cellulosic material to an ozone-containing gas so as to decompose lignin in the lignocellulosic material with a very small energy consumption.

Method for pretreatment of cellulosic materials

First, the organic waste slurry of sewage sludge and/or kitchen garbage is stored in a stable condition after effecting partially thereto a liquefaction treatment in advance by adding liquefying bacteria, and next this slurry is effectively digested anaerobically by way of a liquefaction/gasification-mixed step or a liquefaction/gasification separated step.

Anaerobic digestion process

The invention relates to an improvement of the floc-formation property of activated sludge contained in waste water. A waste water treatment process comprises steps culturing a novel strain--Alcaligenes faecalis HRL--1--and adding the cultured cells to to-be-treated waste water.

Method for treating waste water

The invention relates to an improvement of the floc-formation property of activated sludge contained in waste water. A waste water treatment process comprises steps culturing a novel strain-Alcaligenes faecalis HRL-1 - and adding the cultured cells to to-be-treated waste water.

Microorganism for treating waste water

Methane gas produced according to an anaerobic digestion of organic wastes is introduced into digested separated water which is alkalized by a photo-culture of algae, whereby impurity carbon dioxide gas is removed by absorption. Accordingly, methane of high concentration is recovered and at the same time, by-product algae is recycled as feedstock, and thereby improving the yield of methane.

The present invention relates to a process for digesting garbage or garbage contained wastes, particularly to a microbiological treatment which facilitates the treatment with high efficiency and economics, for the recovery of methane gas, first, by effecting an alcohol fermentation treatment by alcohol fermentative yeasts which can directly convert starch into ethanol without a starch hydrolysis pretreatment in the slurry state, followed by a direct methanization by methane bacteria of the fermented product containing ethanol, without effecting sterilization treatment of garbage or garbage contained wastes.

Growing community of inventors

Hitachi, Japan

Yoji Odawara