Gram-Negative Bacteria Spray Drying Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Gram-negative bacteria have limited storage stability due to their inability to form spores and a thin murein envelope, leading to short shelf life and high metabolic activity, which complicates their use in agricultural and other applications, and existing formulations often require refrigeration and have low biocompatibility issues with effect enhancers.
Innovation Solution
A method involving spray drying of Gram-negative bacteria followed by contact with a polyether compound, which reduces water activity, increases stability, and allows for optimal concentration of effect enhancers, eliminating the need for refrigeration and reducing contamination risks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If Gram-negative bacteria are stored as aqueous solutions or supported on peat or clay, then they remain metabolically active, but their storage stability is limited to a few days to weeks and refrigeration is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the water activity parameter from high (metabolically active state) to low (dormant state) by using a carrier system with low water activity. This allows the bacteria to be stored at ambient temperature for extended periods without refrigeration, resolving the contradiction between maintaining metabolic activity and achieving long-term storage stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a carrier system (such as peat, clay, or other carriers) as an intermediary between the bacteria and the storage environment. This carrier provides a protective matrix that maintains low water activity while supporting bacterial survival, enabling long-term storage without refrigeration.
2Reliability
If effect enhancers are added at low concentrations (0.1 to 2%) due to low biocompatibility, then contamination risks are reduced, but the optimal concentration (about 40% or more) cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by pre-mixing the effect enhancer with the bacteria in the carrier system before application. This ensures that the bacteria and effect enhancer are already in contact and compatible, allowing the use of optimal concentrations without contamination risks. The preliminary mixing establishes biocompatibility before field application.
3Ease of operation
If manual mixing of active substance and effect enhancer is performed in the tank, then flexibility is maintained, but errors can be made leading to partial reduction or complete lack of effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the bacteria and effect enhancer into a single pre-mixed formulation in the carrier system. This eliminates the need for separate manual mixing operations in the field, ensuring precise and consistent mixing ratios while maintaining ease of application. The combined formulation ensures that the optimal concentration of effect enhancer is always achieved.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method significantly enhances the storage stability of Gram-negative bacteria to at least 1-2 years at ambient temperature and humidity, improves biological effectiveness, and simplifies handling and mixing, while maintaining bacterial viability and preventing unwanted microbial growth.
Implementation Method 1
The Gram-negative bacteria is first subjected to spray drying
Implementation Method 2
contacting the spray-dried Gram-negative bacteria to a polyether... which reduces water activity, increases stability
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a method of producing a composition of Gram-negative bacteria, the method comprising(a) subjecting a wet mass of Gram-negative bacteria to spray drying; and(b) contacting the spray-dried Gram-negative bacteria from step (a) to a compound,wherein the compound has a general formula (I) of,R1O—[(C2H3R2)—O]n—H Formula (I)whereR1 is a monovalent aliphatic radical having 1 to 22, preferably 2 to 10, especially 3 to 4, carbon atoms;R2 is in each case independently a hydrogen radical or a methyl radical; andn is a number from 1 to 300, preferably from 5 to 100, especially from 10 to 30,with the proviso that at least one R2 radical is a methyl radical.