Microbial biomass refers to the biomass formed by the microorganisms on the suitable substrate. This biomass gives byproducts useful for humans. Some of the patented biomass products are given below.
Patent no: 7,049,433 titled ‘Glucosamine and method of making glucosamine from microbial biomass’ with the abstract: Glucosamine suitable for human or animal consumption is disclosed. The glucosamine is derived from microbial biomass containing chitin. Suitable starting materials include substantially uniform microbial fungal sources, such as fungal sources derived from Aspergillus sp., Penicillium sp., Mucor sp. and combinations thereof. Methods of producing glucosamine by acid hydrolysis of fermented fungal biomass are also disclosed.
Patent no: 6,975,403 titled ‘on-line method and equipment for detecting, determining the evolution and quantifying a microbial biomass and other substances that absorb light along the spectrum during the development of biotechnological processes’ with the abstract : The invention relates to a method comprising passing a first variable intensity light beam across a first test-tube (3) wherein the substance (1) to be controlled is circulating. Subsequently, a second fixed-intensity light beam is passed across a second test-tube (4) with a reference sample. The intensities of both beams are compared once they have crossed over the test tubes and the intensity of the first beam is varied so that said intensities are equal. The parameter of interest in the first test tube is calculated by means of signal processing which causes the first beam to vary.
Patent no: 6,812,001 titled ‘Isolation of carotenoid crystals from microbial biomass’ with the abstract: A process for the isolation of crystalline carotenoid compound from microbial biomass comprising disrupting the microbial cell walls, separating cellular debris from the carotenoid-containing residue, washing one member of the group consisting of the microbial biomass, the disrupted cell mass and the carotenoid-containing reside with a solvent to remove lipid, suspending the obtained carotenoid crystals in water to float the crystals, recovering the crystals and, optionally, further purifying the crystals which avoids the use of large amounts of solvent of carotenoid extraction process.
Patent no: 5,110,980 titled ‘Separation of poly-.beta.-hydroxyalkanoic acid from microbial biomass’ with the abstract: Hypochlorite digestion of bacterial biomass to recover intracellular poly-.beta.-hydroxylalkanoic acid (PHA) has not been used on a large scale since it has been widely reported to severely degrade the polymer. The process of the invention proposes to optimize the initial biomass concentration, the digestion time and pH of the hypochlorite solution to minimize degradation. Consequently, PHA of up to 95% purity with an average molecular weight of 600,000 can be recovered from biomass initially containing PHA having a molecular weight of 1,200,000. By incorporating a pretreatment step with an anionic surfactant solution, PHA of 99% purity with a molecular weight of 1.20.times.10.sup.6 was obtained from biomass containing 57% PHA by weight with an initial molecular weight of 1.25.times.10.sup.6.
Patent no: 4,806,474 titled ‘Preparation of mycelial chitosan and glucan fractions from microbial biomass’ with the abstract: Chitin from microbial biomass is converted to chitosan and recovered as an essentially glucan-free product. The method involves contacting the biomass with a strong alkali solution at a temperature within the range of from 60.degree. to 90.degree. C. for a period of at least 10 hours to form an insoluble chitosan/glucan residue. The chitosan is then recovered by adding dilute acid to the residue to dissolve it without dissolving the glucan which can then be recovered separately.
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