Method for culturing microorganisms on a growth substrate comprising biomass obtained from methanotrophic bacteria

1. A method of culturing a microorganism which comprises culturing a microorganism in a broad spectrum growth medium that is a sterile nutrient composition comprising the biomass of a culture comprising methanotrophic bacteria,

wherein the culture comprising methanotrophic bacteria used to produce the biomass comprises at least 50% by weight methanotrophic bacteria relative to the total bacterial weight of the biomass,

wherein the biomass comprises Methylococcus capsulatus (Bath), NCIMB 41526, Ralstonia sp. DB3, NCIMB 41527 , Brevibacillus agri DB5, NCIMB 41525, and Aneurinibacillus sp. DB4, strain NCIMB 41528,

wherein the growth medium comprises a hydrolysate, homogenate or autolysate of the biomass of methanotrophic bacteria, and at least one nutrient selected from the group consisting of: (a) glucose; and (b) nitrate and mineral salts.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said nutrient composition comprises a hydrolysate, homogenate or autolysate of said biomass.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said growth medium further comprises at least one nutrient selected from the group consisting of: (a) glucose; and (b) nitrate and mineral salts.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the glucose is present in said growth medium in a dry mass basis weight ratio of 5:1 to 1:5, relative to the sterile nutrient composition.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the nitrate and mineral salts are present in said growth medium in a weight ratio of 0.01″1 to 0.2:1, relative to the sterile nutrient composition.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said culture of bacteria is produced by fermentation on hydrocarbon fractions or on natural gas.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said nutrient composition comprises an autolysate of said biomass.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said mineral salts are selected from the group consisting of potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium, molybdenum, iron, zinc, boron, cobalt, manganese and nickel compounds.

9. The method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the glucose is present in said growth medium in a dry mass basis weight ratio of 2:1 to 1:2, relative to the sterile nutrient composition.

10. The method as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the nitrate and mineral salts are present in said growth medium in a weight ratio of 0.05:1 to 0.1:1, relative to the sterile nutrient composition.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the culture of bacteria used to produce the biomass is at least 60% by weight methanotrophic bacteria relative to the total bacterial weight.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the culture of bacteria used to produce the biomass is at least 70% by weight methanotrophic bacteria relative to the total bacterial weight.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the culture of bacteria used to produce the biomass is at least 75% by weight methanotrophic bacteria relative to the total bacterial weight.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the culture of bacteria used to produce the biomass is 75% to 95% by weight methanotrophic bacteria relative to the total bacterial weight.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the culture of bacteria used to produce the biomass is 75 to 80% by weight methanotrophic bacteria relative to the total bacterial weight.

16. The method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein said culture of bacteria is produced by fermentation on natural gas.