ENZYMES

[jonh ntigombeho]

Industrial Uses of Enzymes
Bioprocessing is the use of biological materials (organisms, cells, organelles, enzymes) to carry out manufacturing or treatment procedures of commercial or scientific interest.
Examples include:
• Glucose isomerase: production of fructose from glucose (sweeter).
• Sucrase: production of glucose and fructose from sucrose (much sweeter).
• Glucose oxidase: testing of blood/urine for glucose (diabetics)
• Pectinase: production of clear juice from apples/grapes etc for cider/wine-making
Immobilised enzymes are not free in solution
• they can be held in a bead of soft permeable gel
• or coat the internal surface of a porous solid.
Advantages of Immobilised Enzymes
• Easier purification of the product as the separation of the enzyme beads is not a problem.
• Easy to recover and recycle the enzymes – more economical process.
• The enzymes remain functional for much longer as it is a gentler process
• Therefore cheaper
• Best to use thermostable enzymes as these last longer and work at higher temperature, thus faster
Bioprocessing Procedure
• Bioprocessing with immobilised enzymes is carried out in a bioreactor.
• The gel beads, with the immobilised enzymes, are held in suspension in the nutrient medium.
• The bioreactor is sterile – micro-organisms would
o contaminate the product and
o reduce yield.
• Temperature, pH, substrate and product concentration and waste level are checked constantly (computer).
• The product can be produced by continuous flow (better) or by batch processing.