Patent ID: 7682631

Claim:
A process for agglomerating biologically active microorganisms comprising: contacting a first enteropathogenic microorganism with a first particle having an average diameter between about 30 nanometers and about 5 micrometers, the first particle comprising a polystyrene hydrophobic polymeric core and multiple polyethylene glycol hydrophilic polymeric linking agents bound to the polystyrene hydrophobic polymeric core, the polyethylene glycol hydrophilic linking agents having a degree of polymerization of between about 10 and about 200, the particle further comprising D-mannose bound to the hydrophilic linking agents, the D-mannose being bound to the hydrophilic linking agent at a distance from the hydrophobic core, the D-mannose comprising a first binding site for a first adhesin present on the surface of the enteropathogenic microorganism, wherein the enteropathic microorganism is E. coli or C. jejuni; binding the first adhesin of the first enteropathogenic microorganism to the first binding site of the D-mannose to form a particle/microorganism complex; and binding a second adhesin of a second enteropathogenic microorganism to a second binding site of the biofunctional material of the particle/microorganism complex, wherein the second enteropathogenic microorganism is E. coli or C. jejuni and thus agglomerating the first and second enteropathogenic microorganisms.