To prepare an enzyme immobilisation and examine its application

Question 1

What is the formation of alginate beads like?

Answer 1

It is a delicate process.

Question 2

Since the formation of alginate beads is a delicate process, what must be done?

Answer 2

All equipment must be cleaned before use, if possible all the water used in this activity should be distilled water.

Question 3

What enzyme does yeast contain?

Answer 3

Sucrase

Question 4

what enzyme is immobilised in the process of forming alginate beads?

Answer 4

Sucrase

Question 5

List the steps to form alginate beads.

Answer 5

1. Add some sodium alginate to water in a beaker.
2. Stir with a glass rod until it is a smooth paste and leave to soak for 5 minutes.
3. Add some yeast to water in a second beaker
4. Stir the yeast solution and leave for 5 minutes
5. Dissolve some calcium chloride in water in a large beaker
6. Pour yeast solution into the alginate paste and stir.
7. Draw into a syringe without a needle attached.
8. Slowly add a series of alginate and yeast drops from the syringe to the calcium chloride solution. Stir as you add the drops to prevent clumping.
   Beads of calcium alginate gel form, enclosing and immobilising some of the yeast cells.
9. Leave the solution for 15 minutes to allow the beads to harden
10. Place beads in a sieve and wash with water to remove any yeast cells from outside the hardened beads.

Question 6

Where can calcium alginate beads be stored?

Answer 6

In water or dried on filter paper and stored in a refrigerator.

Question 7

What does the enzyme sucrase convert and produce?

Answer 7

It converts sucrose into glucose and fructose

Question 8

List the steps to examine the application of the immobilised enzyme

Answer 8

1. Pour the beads of the immobilised enzyme into a separating funnel. use a piece of a drinking straw to prevent the beads from blocking the outlet of the funnel.
2. Add yeast to a beaker of water and stir.
3. Pour this into a 2nd separating funnel.
4. dissolve some sucrose in warm water.
5. Pour sucrose solution into both funnels.
6. Test products by allowing them to drip onto glucose testing strips such as clinistix or diastrix.
7. continue the test until glucose is found coming from each funnel.
8. Note and record the time taken for glucose to first form
9. Observe the products in each beaker. Compare the cloudiness of each solution. (non immobilised is more cloudy, the other is clearer).
10. present the results in a table.