Enzyme immobilization: A breakthrough in enzyme technology and boon to enzyme based industries

Abstract

Enzyme technology is the application involving modification of enzyme's structure as well as its function. It is currently considered as a useful alternative to conventional process technology in enzyme based industrial as well as analytical fields. Enzyme immobilization is the foremost technique used in enzyme technology, which has gained popularity for the last few decades. It stabilizes structure of the enzymes, thereby allowing their applications under harsh environmental conditions (pH, temperature, organic solvents), and thus enable their uses in non-aqueous enzymology, and in the fabrication of biosensors. Furthermore, it allows repetitive use of enzyme as well as helpful in prevention of product contamination with the enzyme (especially useful in the food and pharmaceutical industries). Recently, the development of techniques for immobilization of multi-enzymes along with cofactor regeneration and retention system are gainfully exploited in developing biochemical processes involving complex chemical conversions. Various methods for enzyme immobilization used in bioreactors and biosensors include adsorption on or covalent attachment to a support, micro-encapsulation, and entrapment within a membrane, film or gel. The ideal immobilization method should employ mild chemical conditions, allow large quantities of enzyme to be immobilized, provide a large surface area for enzyme-substrate contact within a small total volume, minimize barriers to mass transport of substrate and product, and provide a chemically and mechanically robust system. Immobilization helps in the development of continuous processes allowing more economic organization of the operations, automation, decrease of labour and investment to capacity ratio. The present chapter delineates the current status and future potentials of immobilized enzymes in the emerging enzyme based industries with suitable examples. © Nova Science Publishers Inc.