Improving xanthan gum production

黄原胶是世界上使用最广泛的水胶体之一。BBSRC CASE项目已经发现，在某些聚电解质的情况下，黄原胶溶液表现出戏剧性的相分离，导致富含黄原胶的液晶结构域和显著的粘度下降。该项目旨在表明，这一发现可以通过以下方式改善黄原胶生产过程：-（a）增加发酵过程中的限制黄原胶浓度。(b)提供一种环境可接受的替代溶剂到溶剂回收产品。(c)将该方法与振荡挡板生物反应器的使用相结合。我们希望在与主要黄原胶生产商继续讨论之前，通过专利申请证明原理。CASE赞助商已经为原始工作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。这项工作将结合联合收割机现有的专业知识在诺丁汉和斯特拉斯克莱德大学。

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.