Immobilised Enzymes

Question 1

What is immobilisation?

Answer 1

The process of attaching an enzyme to an insoluble material

Question 2

What are the advantages of using immobilised enzymes in biotechnology?

Answer 2

• Enzymes can be reused which reducing costs.
• Products are purer which requires less purification
• Lower downstream processing costs
• Can function at higher temperatures which increases efficiency
• More stable in changing pH conditions
• Reactions can be faster and have higher yields due to higher operational temperatures

Question 3

What is one method of immobilising enzymes in alginate beads?

Answer 3

1. Mix the enzyme with sodium alginate and take it into a syringe
2. Release droplets of the mixture into calcium chloride to form alginate beads
3. Rinse beads in distilled water and pack them into a column
4. Pour substrate onto the column and collect the hydrolysed product

Question 4

What are other methods of immobilising enzymes?

Answer 4

• Membrane separation: Using microcapsules
• Adsorption: Hydrophobic/ionic bonding to a solid support
• Covalent bonding: Cross-linking to collagen or cellulose
• Entrapment: Encapsulation or suspension in a matrix