Immobilization of enzymes in microtiter plate scale

Enzyme-Coated Micro-Crystals: An Almost Forgotten but Very Simple and Elegant Immobilization Strategy

The immobilization of enzymes using protein coated micro-crystals (PCMCs) was reported for the first time in 2001 by Kreiner and coworkers. The strategy is very simple. First, an enzyme solution must be prepared in a concentrated solution of one compound (salt, sugar, amino acid) very soluble in water and poorly soluble in a water-soluble solvent. Then, the enzyme solution is added dropwise to the water soluble solvent under rapid stirring. The components accompanying the enzyme are called the crystal growing agents, the solvent being the dehydrating agent. This strategy permits the rapid dehydration of the enzyme solution drops, resulting in a crystallization of the crystal formation agent, and the enzyme is deposited on this crystal surface. The reaction medium where these biocatalysts can be used is marked by the solubility of the PCMC components, and usually these biocatalysts may be employed in water soluble organic solvents with a maximum of 20% water. The evolution of these PCMC was to chemically crosslink them and further improve their stabilities. Moreover, the PCMC strategy has been used to coimmobilize enzymes or enzymes and cofactors. The immobilization may permit the use of buffers as crystal growth agents, enabling control of the reaction pH in the enzyme environments. Usually, the PCMC biocatalysts are very stable and more active than other biocatalysts of the same enzyme. However, this simple (at least at laboratory scale) immobilization strategy is underutilized even when the publications using it systematically presented a better performance of them in organic solvents than that of many other immobilized biocatalysts. In fact, many possibilities and studies using this technique are lacking. This review tried to outline the possibilities of this useful immobilization strategy.

High-Throughput Multiobjective Optimization of Patterned Multifunctional Surfaces

The realization and optimization of multifunctional materials is difficult, especially when the functionalities are directly incompatible. For example, it is challenging to make surfaces both enzymatically active and water repellent, as these two properties are directly competitive because of the hydrophilic nature of the enzyme-laden surfaces. Patterning discrete domains of distinct functionalities can represent a path to multifunctionality, but the innumerable possible domain permutations present a major barrier to optimizing performance. Here, we develop a high-throughput approach for exploring patterned multifunctional surfaces that is inspired by the microtiter plate architecture. As a model system, patterned surfaces are realized with horseradish peroxidase-decorated domains amidst a background of hydrophobic fluorinated self-assembled monolayers. In experiments exploring effects of pattern geometry, the measured enzyme activity is dependent only on the surface coverage. In contrast, roll-off behavior strongly depends on the parameters of the pattern geometry. Importantly, this finding enables the precise tailoring of distinct wetting behavior of the surfaces in a manner that is independent of their enzymatic activity. The high-throughput nature of the platform facilitates multiobjective optimization of surface functionalities in a general and flexible manner.

Highly stable protein immobilizationviamaleimido-thiol chemistry to monitor enzymatic activity

Combining a novel protein immobilisation method with multivariate curve resolution enables the direct observation of biocatalysis by ATR-FTIR spectroscopy.

Microtiter plates versus stirred mini-bioreactors in biocatalysis: a scalable approach

To place the application of miniaturized vessels as microbioreactors on a firm footing, focus has been given to engineering characterization. Studies on this matter have mostly involved carrier-free biological systems, while support-based systems have been overlooked. The present work aims to contribute to fill in such gap. Thus, it intended to establish a robust scaled down approach to identify and optimize relevant operational conditions of naringin hydrolysis by naringinase in PVA lens-shaped particles. The influence of geometric and dynamic (viz. Reynolds number) parameters was evaluated. Naringin hydrolysis in round, flat bottom MTP proved more effective than in square, pyramidal bottom. The bioconversion at MTP and stirred tank reactors scales showed that, given the 12.5-fold scale difference was in agreement between the bioconversion rates. The external mass transfer resistances were negligible as deduced from Damkohler modulus ≤1. The bioconversion was effectively scaled-up 200-fold from shaken microtiter plates to stirred tank reactors.

Control of protein immobilization: coupling immobilization and site-directed mutagenesis to improve biocatalyst or biosensor performance

Mutagenesis and immobilization are usually considered to be unrelated techniques with potential applications to improve protein properties. However, there are several reports showing that the use of site-directed mutagenesis to improve enzyme properties directly, but also how enzymes are immobilized on a support, can be a powerful tool to improve the properties of immobilized biomolecules for use as biosensors or biocatalysts. Standard immobilizations are not fully random processes, but the protein orientation may be difficult to alter. Initially, most efforts using this idea were addressed towards controlling the orientation of the enzyme on the immobilization support, in many cases to facilitate electron transfer from the support to the enzyme in redox biosensors. Usually, Cys residues are used to directly immobilize the protein on a support that contains disulfide groups or that is made from gold. There are also some examples using His in the target areas of the protein and using supports modified with immobilized metal chelates and other tags (e.g., using immobilized antibodies). Furthermore, site-directed mutagenesis to control immobilization is useful for improving the activity, the stability and even the selectivity of the immobilized protein, for example, via site-directed rigidification of selected areas of the protein. Initially, only Cys and disulfide supports were employed, but other supports with higher potential to give multipoint covalent attachment are being employed (e.g., glyoxyl or epoxy-disulfide supports). The advances in support design and the deeper knowledge of the mechanisms of enzyme-support interactions have permitted exploration of the possibilities of the coupled use of site-directed mutagenesis and immobilization in a new way. This paper intends to review some of the advances and possibilities that these coupled strategies permit.

Enzymes in food processing: a condensed overview on strategies for better biocatalysts

Food and feed is possibly the area where processing anchored in biological agents has the deepest roots. Despite this, process improvement or design and implementation of novel approaches has been consistently performed, and more so in recent years, where significant advances in enzyme engineering and biocatalyst design have fastened the pace of such developments. This paper aims to provide an updated and succinct overview on the applications of enzymes in the food sector, and of progresses made, namely, within the scope of tapping for more efficient biocatalysts, through screening, structural modification, and immobilization of enzymes. Targeted improvements aim at enzymes with enhanced thermal and operational stability, improved specific activity, modification of pH-activity profiles, and increased product specificity, among others. This has been mostly achieved through protein engineering and enzyme immobilization, along with improvements in screening. The latter has been considerably improved due to the implementation of high-throughput techniques, and due to developments in protein expression and microbial cell culture. Expanding screening to relatively unexplored environments (marine, temperature extreme environments) has also contributed to the identification and development of more efficient biocatalysts. Technological aspects are considered, but economic aspects are also briefly addressed.

Miniaturization in biocatalysis

The use of biocatalysts for the production of both consumer goods and building blocks for chemical synthesis is consistently gaining relevance. A significant contribution for recent advances towards further implementation of enzymes and whole cells is related to the developments in miniature reactor technology and insights into flow behavior. Due to the high level of parallelization and reduced requirements of chemicals, intensive screening of biocatalysts and process variables has become more feasible and reproducibility of the bioconversion processes has been substantially improved. The present work aims to provide an overview of the applications of miniaturized reactors in bioconversion processes, considering multi-well plates and microfluidic devices, update information on the engineering characterization of the hardware used, and present perspective developments in this area of research.

A versatile esterase fromBacillus subtilis: Cloning, expression, characterization, and its application in biocatalysis

An esterase from Bacillus subtilis DSM402 (BS2) was cloned and functionally expressed in E. coli. The enzyme is active up to 50 degrees C, and the V(max) (1449 mM/min) and K(M) values (119 mM) were determined using p-nitrophenyl acetate as substrate. BS2 belongs to the few hydrolases that can act on tertiary alcohols and was therefore used to resolve racemic acetates of selected tertiary alcohols, but also to selectively remove the tert-butyl ester protecting group from peptides. In addition, the enzyme shows promiscuous amidase activity.

Biocatalysis for pharmaceutical intermediates: the future is now

Biocatalysis is continuing to gain momentum and is now becoming a key component in the toolbox of the process chemist, with a place alongside chemocatalysis and chromatographic separations. The pharmaceutical industry demands a speed of development that must be on a parallel with conventional chemistry and high optical purity for complex compounds with multiple chiral centres. This review describes how these demands are being addressed to make biocatalysis successful, particularly by the use of micro-scale technology for high-speed catalyst screening and process development alongside discipline integration of biology and engineering with chemistry. Developments in recombinant technology will further expand the repertoire of biocatalysis in the coming years to new chemistries and enable catalyst design to fit the process. Further development of biocatalysis for green chemistry and high productivity processes can also be expected.