BIOCATALYTIC DETOXIFICATION OF POLYNUCLEAR HYDROCARBONS

THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS RESEARCH IS TO SHOW THAT A CARRAGEENAN-IMMOBILIZED WHITE-ROT FUNGUS, PHANEROCHAETE CHRYSOSPORIUM, WILL OXIDIZE AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS IN A STABILIZED ORGANIC SOLVENT AQUEOUS EMULSION. OXIDATION OF THE TEST AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS IN THE EMULSION WILL DEMONSTRATE THAT THE IMMOBILIZED LIVING FUNGUS CAN OPERATE AS A BIOCATALYTIC REACTOR. THE FEASIBILITY OF ORGANIC SUBSTRATE OXIDATION WILL BE SHOWN BY (1) METABOLISM AND SURVIVAL OF THE FUNGUS IN THE ORGANIC EMULSION, (2) EFFICIENT OXIDATION OF THE AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS DUE TO INCREASED SOLUBILITY OF THESE SUBSTRATESRELATIVE TO WATER, AND (3) GENERAL APPLICATION TO SUBSTRATE MOLECULES SIMILAR TO THE TEST AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS. SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THE RESEARCH WILL SIGNIFICANTLY ENHANCE THE RANGE OF SUBSTRATES THAT CAN BE EFFECTIVELY METABOLIZED BY A LIVING ORGANISM. SOME APPLICATIONS INCLUDEDETOXIFICATION OF ORGANIC COMPOUNDS AND PRODUCTION OF HIGH-VALUE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS.