Method and apparatus for producing polyhydroxyalkanoate

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for producing highly purified polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) with high yield, by removing cell components other than PHA from cells containing PHA. Moreover, the present invention provides a method for simply removing or reducing chlorine remained in the collected PHA particles, when a treatment with an oxidizing agent containing hypochlorite is performed in the production of PHA as described above. One of the above-described methods comprises a step of treating cells containing polyhydroxyalkanoate with an oxidizing agent containing at least hypochlorite, a step of separating the treated cells into a water-soluble fraction and a water-insoluble fraction, and a step of reducing chlorine remained in the water-insoluble fraction. The step of reducing chlorine may be a step of washing the water-insoluble fraction with a hot water, thiosulfate solution or polar solvent solution containing at least an organic polar solvent in which polyhydroxyalkanoate is insoluble.

1 - 16 . (Cancelled)  
     
     
         17 . An apparatus for producing polyhydroxyalkanoate, comprising: 
 means for treating cells containing polyhydroxyalkanoate with an oxidizing agent containing at least hypochlorite;    means for separating the treated cells into a water-soluble fraction and a water-insoluble fraction; and    means for reducing chlorine remained in the water-insoluble fraction.    
     
     
         18 . A method for producing polyhydroxyalkanoate, comprising: 
 a step of obtaining a crushed product by crushing cells containing polyhydroxyalkanoate;    a step of separating the crushed product into a water-soluble fraction and a water-insoluble fraction; and    a step of treating the water-insoluble fraction with an oxidizing agent.    
     
     
         19 . The method for producing polyhydroxyalkanoate according to  claim 18 , wherein said step of obtaining the crushed product by crushing cells is performed by at least one selected from a group consisting of ultrasonication method, homogenizer method, high-pressure crushing method, bead impact method, milling method, grinding method, and freeze-thawing method.  
     
     
         20 . The method for producing poyhydroxyalkanoate according to  claim 18 , wherein said oxidizing agent is an oxidizing agent containing at least a peroxide compound.  
     
     
         21 . The method for producing polyhydroxyalkanoate according to  claim 20 , wherein said peroxide compound is any one of hydrogen peroxide and sodium percarbonate.  
     
     
         22 . The method for producing polyhydroxyalkanoate according to  claim 18 , wherein said oxidizing agent is an oxidizing agent containing at least hypochlorite.  
     
     
         23 . The method for producing polyhydroxyalkanoate according to  claim 22 , wherein said hypochlorite is sodium hypochlorite.  
     
     
         24 . An apparatus for producing polyhydroxyalkanoate, comprising: 
 means for obtaining a crushed product by crushing cells containing polyhydroxyalkanoate;    means for separating the crushed product into a water-soluble fraction and a water-insoluble fraction; and    means for treating the water-insoluble fraction with an oxidizing agent.