Appeal No. 2000-1568
Application 08/695,249
thereof, so that they will be suitable for use in the control agricultural pests. Shasha ‘377,
col. 2, lines 50-54 and col. 3, lines 59-65. The encapsulation is said to extend the field
life of the biocontrol agents by providing protection from environmental exposure and
chemical and biological degradation. Id., col. 1,
lines 7-12. The encapsulation procedure is performed by blending a biocontrol agent
with an aqueous dispersion of a commercially-available, amylose-containing, pre-
gelatinized starch such as pearl corn starch, potato starch, tapioca starch, flours
containing these starches as well as mixtures of these with waxy cornstarch and high-
amylose corn starch. Id., col. 2, lines 51-58; col. 3, lines 39-43 and 51-58. Shasha ‘377
discloses that the starch concentration must be in the range of about 25-40% solids by
weight in order to have rapid gelling. Id., col . 4, lines 54-57. The gelled mixture is
placed on trays and left to stand for thirty (30) minutes to form a non-sticky mass which is
then ground into non-agglomerating particles. Id., col. 4, lines 63-69. Shasha further
discloses that coating the gelled mixture with pearl cornstarch powder prior to grinding
facilitates particulation. Id., col. 4, line 69- col. 5, line 2. Shasha ‘377 still further
discloses that the presence of about 5-10% corn oil by weight (i) helps to disperse the
biocontrol agent, (ii) helps to minimize clumping of the pre-gelatinized
starch, and (iii) acts as a mild phagostimulant for some insects. Id., col. 4,
lines 24-29.
Connick discloses a method of entrapping biocontrol agents in a cohesive dough
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