BIOCONVERSION PROCESSES AND APPARATUS

摘要

Bioconversion processes are disclosed in which two or more biocatalysts including microorganisms or isolated enzymes that are substantially irreversibly retained in the interior of an open, porous, highly hydrophilic polymer are used in a common aqueous medium. In one exemplary embodiment, one biocatalyst produces a chemical product that is a substrate to at least one other biocatalyst. In another exemplary embodiment, the feed includes two or more substrates and one biocatalyst bioconverts at least one substrate and another biocatalyst bioconverts at least one other substrate. This aspect is particularly useful for treating water including disparate contaminants by metabolic degradation in a bioreaction zone including multiple types of biocatalysts.