Appeal No. 1996-2215
Application No. 08/101,093
batch” culture in which sorbitol is fed intermittently, with a
DO-stat under the condition that none of the components in the
basal medium limit the growth of the microorganism and the
production of sorbose. Mori, page 65, column 2, lines 18-23;
and page 66, column 1, line 4, through column 2, line 10. A
DO-stat is a device to keep constant the concentration of
dissolved oxygen in the broth. With the use of the DO-stat,
pure oxygen or oxygen gas mixed with air is supplied to the
fermentor without toxicity due to excessive concentrations of
dissolved oxygen. Mori, page 65, column 1, lines 12-17.
2. Mori does not describe the recited steps of
(1) nonadsorbently controlling the partial pressure of the
carbon dioxide gas produced from the fermenting bacteria, or
(2) recycling the exhaust gas produced by the culture medium
by mixing the exhaust gas with oxygen before pumping the
oxygen gas into the culture medium.
3. Shimizu describes a process for culturing
microorganisms using oxygen-enriched gas, where the exhaust
gas of the culture medium is recycled. The process comprises
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