Improving xanthan gum production

黄原胶是世界上使用最广泛的水胶体之一。BBSRC的一个CASE项目发现，在某些聚电解质的作用下，黄原胶溶液表现出明显的相分离，导致液晶黄原胶富含区域，粘度大幅下降。本项目旨在表明，这一发现可以改善黄原胶的生产过程：- (a)提高发酵过程中黄原胶的极限浓度。(b)提供一种环境上可接受的替代溶剂对溶剂回收产品的方法。(c)将这种方法与使用振荡挡板生物反应器相结合。我们希望在继续与主要黄原胶生产商讨论之前，通过专利申请证明原理。CASE的发起人已经就原创作品的其他方面申请了专利，但我们被告知，我们可以保护与发酵过程有关的发明。这项工作将结合诺丁汉大学和斯特拉斯克莱德大学现有的专业知识。

Xanthan gum is one of the world's most widely used hydrocolloids. A BBSRC CASE project has discovered that with certain polyelectrolytes, xanthan solutions exhibit dramatic phase separation, resulting in a liquid crystalline xanthan-rich domain and a substantial viscosity drop. This project aims to show that this discovery can improve the xanthan production process by:- (a) Increasing the limiting xanthan concentration in the fermentation process. (b) Providing an environmentally acceptable alternative to solvent to solvent recovery of product. (c) Combining this approach with the use of an oscillatory baffled bioreactor. We wish to demonstrate proof of principle, backed by a patent application before continuing discussions with a major xanthan producers. The CASE sponsor has filed a patent on other aspects of the original work, but we have been advised that we can protect inventions relating to the fermentation process. The work will combine existing expertise at the Universities of Nottingham and Strathclyde.