Enzymes are large molecules of amino acids that have various shapes and functions. As naturally-occurring biological catalysts, they aid in everything from digestion in humans to the decay of wood and leaves. They also represent a logical tool for pulp and paper production. The world’s largest industrial use of enzymes is in starch hydrolysis and the production of syrups and prepared foods.
Industrial and Commercial Use of Enzymes:
The industrial use of enzymes spans a variety of applications, such as:
• ‘stonewashing’ blue jeans
• improving the quality of baked goods
Industrial applications of these materials rely on natural enzymatic mechanisms, which are refocused and intensified to
• diffusion of substrates and products may be hampered by partitioning of the enzyme in the immobilised layer
An area where enzyme stability and therefore immobilisation is important is in the industrial area of biosensors. This involves either immobilising an enzyme into an electrode tip or impregnating it in a strip. Another area is in the immobilisation of whole cells (picture above), both for analytical biochemistry and also possibly disease therapy.
• use in the pharmaceutical industry of penicillin amidase to prepare 6-APA from native penicillins.
1. Chemical (covalent) attachment of the enzyme to a supporting material.
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