US Patent 7582466 None

Bacillus subtilis var. chungkookjang, accession no. KCTC 0697BP, a salt-resistant B. subtilis variant isolated from “chungkookjang,” a traditional Korean fermented soy bean paste. This B. subtilis variant produces poly-gamma-glutamic acid (or poly-gamma-glutamate, γ-PGA), an edible, soluble, anionic, and biodegradable high molecular-weight polymer. Bacillus subtilis var. chungkookjang produces γ-PGA with a higher molecular weight than other extracellular γ-PGAs derived from general Bacillus sp. strains. Accordingly, the γ-PGA produced by Bacillus subtilis var. chungkookjang can be utilized for the development of high value-added products, such as cosmetics, absorption agents, and biodegradable plastic materials.