Patent ID: 8710179

Claim:
A method of concentrating viable microorganisms in an aqueous solution, comprising contacting the solution with a water-insoluble matrix having a polymer capable of binding the microorganism covalently attached thereto via a C-terminus thereof, said polymer comprises a plurality of residues, wherein said plurality of residues comprises a plurality of amino acid residues and 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8 ω-amino-fatty acid residues each being independently selected from the 10-amino-capric acid, 12-amino-lauric acid, 14-amino-myristic acid, 16-amino-palmitic acid, 18-amino-stearic acid, 18-amino-oleic acid, 16-amino-palmitoleic acid, 18-amino-linoleic acid, 18-amino-linolenic acid and 20-amino-arachidonic acid, whereas each of said ω-amino-fatty acid residues is being covalently linked to at least two amino acid residues in said plurality of amino acid residues via an amine group of one amino acid residue and via a carboxyl of the other amino acid residue in said at least two amino acid residues, said polymer being selected from the group consisting of a linear polymer and a cyclic polymer, thereby binding the microorganisms to said polymer on said matrix and concentrating the microorganisms in the aqueous solution, wherein said binding is effected while maintaining viability of the microorganisms.