Xanthomonas compestris

Most polymers used in oil field operations and resource recovery are synthetic. The man-made materials in common use are polyO-amidoethylene) ( = polyacrylamide ), poly( 1-amidoethylene-r-( sodium 1-carboxylatoethylene ) ( = partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide ), poly(l-amidoethylene-r-( sodium 1-(2-methylprop-1N-yl-1-sulfonate)amidoethylene) (AMPS-acrylamide copolymer), and xanthan gum. Xanthan gum is a synthetic because no one finds a pool or river contaminated with Xanthomonas compestris that experiences the right sequence of solute to naturally produce the exocellular gum polymer. A fermenter is a man made object, a tree is not. 

In recent years, the exocellular polysaccharide elaborated by the bacterium Xanthomonas compestris has emerged as a product with significant industrial appli-... 

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