Malcolm S Shields

US Patent:

55433170, Aug 6, 1996

Filed:

Oct 6, 1994

Appl. No.:

8/319387

Inventors:

Malcolm S. Shields - Gulf Breeze FL
Stephen C. Francesconi - Pensacola FL

International Classification:

C12N 121
C12N 114
C12N 510
C12N 1553

US Classification:

4352402

Abstract:

A novel bacterium named Pseudomonas cepacia PR1. sub. 23 (formerly designated G4 5223 PR1) has the desirable property of constitutively degrading hazardous chemicals, for example trichloroethylene, 1,1-dichloroethylene, cis-1,2 dichloroethylene, trans-1,2-dichloroethylene, toluene, phenol, o-cresol, m-cresol, o-xylene, and benzene, to harmless chemical entities. This microbe, and mutants thereof which retain the constitutive degradation property of the parent, can be used in bioreactor and in situ processes for degrading hazardous chemical compounds. The nucleic acid sequences which encode the degradative peptides have also been isolated and sequenced. Cells transformed with the isolated nucleic acid also produce the peptides comprising the enzyme which can constitutively degrade these hazardous chemicals. The enzyme can be isolated from such microorganisms (those which naturally harbor the gene or those which are transformed with the gene) and applied to a sample having the hazardous chemical(s) or contaminant(s) in order to degrade the contaminant(s).