Appeal No. 1998-3388
Application 08/370,551
1. A method of remediating an environment of soil or water in situ containing
diverse microbial populations and contaminated with carbon tetrachloride which
comprises:
(a) adjusting the environment to a pH of about 7.8 to 9.2; and
(b) introducing a culture of Pseudomonas strain sp. KC (PsKC) deposited
as DMS 7136 and ATCC 55595 into the environment and under anaerobic conditions,
in a number and at a temperature sufficient for the PsKC to convert the carbon
tetrachloride directly to carbon dioxide and a nonvolatile water soluble fraction, wherein
the PsKC converts the carbon tetrachloride at the pH without producing chloroform and
wherein the PsKC has been grown in a culture medium to produce the culture and then
introduced into the environment containing the diverse microbial populations.
11. The method of Claim 1 wherein the PsKC is grown substantially without
iron in the culture medium which is available to the PsKC to produce the culture and
then introduced into the environment in step (b).
The references relied upon by the examiner are:
Criddle et al. (Criddle) “Transformation of Carbon Tetrachloride by Pseudomonas sp.
Strain KC under Denitrification Conditions,” Applied and Environmental Microbiology
Vol. 56, No. 11 pp. 3240-3246 (1990)
Lewis et al. (Lewis) “Physiological Factors Affecting Carbon Tetrachloride
Dehalogenation by the Denitrifying Bacterium Pseudomonas sp. Strain KC”
Applied and Environmental Microbiology Vol. 59, No. 5 pp. 1635-1641 (1993)
Grounds of Rejection
Claims 1, 3, and 9 - 11 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 102(b). As evidence of
anticipation, the examiner relies upon Criddle.
Claims 1, 3, and 9 - 11 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 102(a). As evidence of
obviousness, the examiner relies upon Lewis.
We reverse the rejection of the claims under 35 U.S.C. § 102(b) as anticipated by
Criddle and remand the application for further consideration by the examiner of the rejection
of the claims under 35 U.S.C. § 102(a) as anticipated by Lewis.
Background
The invention, as presently claimed, is described by the applicants at page 5 of
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