Loading patent…
AssigneeCP Kelco U.S., Inc.
InventorsStan Bower, Ellen Burke, Nancy E. Harding, Yamini N. Patel, J. Carrie Schneider, Dagmar Meissner, Neil A. Morrison, Ralph Bezanson
Estimating the term…
The invention relates to mutant strains of the genus Sphingomonas which have a mutation in at least one gene encoding a protein involved in polyhydroxybutyrate (“PHB”) synthesis that allows the mutant strains to produce PHB-deficient Sphingans. The invention is also directed to a process for preparing a clarified Sphingan solution comprising heating aqueous Sphingan solution, in particular PHB-deficient Sphingan solution, to a clarification temperature of about 30° C. to about 70° C., and treating the solution with a clarification agent and enzymes. In addition, the invention is directed to a food or industrial product comprising a PHB-deficient and/or clarified Sphingan. One particular embodiment of the invention is directed to a clarified, PHB-deficient high-acyl gellan and the processes of making thereof.
A clarified Sphingan product from a Sphingomonas mutant strain, wherein a phaC gene in said Sphingomonas mutant strain has been selectively mutated such that the mutant strain produces Sphingan without producing polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) due to lack of expression of phaC protein in said mutant strain, wherein said clarified Sphingan product is PHB-deficient, and said clarified Sphingan product having been clarified by a process using a chelating agent before using a lysozyme, protease, or both.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.