NHase patent on stabilizing nitrile active enzymes in cells

Methods for preserving and/or storing cells having a nitrilase or nitrile hydratase activity

T Zelinski, M Keβeler, B Hauer - US Patent 8,815,569, 2014

The invention from BASF relates to a method for preserving and/or storing microorganisms which exhibit at least one nitrile hydratase or nitrilase enzyme activity, with the preservation and/or storage being effected in an aqueous medium which comprises at least one aldehyde, with the total aldehyde concentration being in a range from 0.1 to 100 mM/l.

But which is more popular nitrilase or nitrile hydratase?

Google have a rather entertaining Google Labs product called the NGram viewer where they allow you to check the ranking of the number of times that books published in a specific year use words which you define. Their examples are like "nursery school" versus "kindergarten". I thought it might be rather more relevant for this blog to try "nitrilase" against "nitrile hydratase".

NGram viewer- nitrilase v nitrile hydratase

Basically nitrilase has been more popular apart from a burst of enthusiasm for NHase between 1988 and 1994, and a photofinish victory in 2003.