Biosilica-Immobilized Enzymes for Biocatalysis (Preprint)
Abstract
Bacterial enzymes are remarkable biocatalysts and catalyze a wide variety of processes that can be utilized for the production of novel compounds or pharmaceutical intermediates. Enzymes also possess a wide range of pharmacological activities and are often investigated for therapeutic effects. A stable immobilized-enzyme preparation is essential to facilitate the use of enzymes in potential applications. Biomineralization reactions have been demonstrated as an effective mechanism to generate silica nanoparticles which are suitable for enzyme immobilization. Biological templates are used to catalyze the precipitation of silica to form a network of fused silica nanospheres. Additional enzyme added during the reaction becomes rapidly entrapped inside the silica spheres as they form. The silica forms at ambient environmental conditions, providing a biocompatible environment for enzyme immobilization. The silica-enzyme immobilization technique provides significant stabilization to a wide range of enzymes. The applicability of silica-encapsulated enzymes is presented for a range of model systems to provide insight into the versatility of the method for biocatalysis.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 2007
- Accession Number
- ADA471777
Entities
People
- Heather R. Luckarift
- Lorena Betancor
Organizations
- University of Cambridge