Patent ID: 6238906
Filing Date: 2001-05-29
Classification: B09C,C12F,C12N,C12R,Y10S

Abstract:
A process for degrading Min an MTBE-containing mixture, which process comprises adding to said MTBE-containincg mixture a pure bacterial culture obtained from a mixed bacterial culture having the identifying characteristics of mixed bacterial culture ATCC No. 202057, wherein said pure bacterial culture degrades methyl-t-butyl ether (MTBE) to carbon dioxide within 70 hours; wherein said pure culture is obtained by a process comprising the steps of:(a) enhancing the isolation of said pure bacterial culture from said mixed bacterial culture by a dilution enrichment process using Mand sterile nutrients-containing medium to obtain a dilute enrichment of said mixed culture,(b) transferring a portion of said dilute enrichment of said mixed culture from (a) to a sterile container comprising nutrients and solidifying agent,(c) incubating said container from (b) above to obtain colonies of bacteria;(d) transferring a portion of a colony from (c) above to a container and incubating it in presence of sterile nutrients and Mfor a period of time to produce colonies, and(e) repeating step (d) until one of the colonies degrades Mto carbon dioxide within 70 hours after said incubating step of (d) above.