OPTICAL RESOLUTION OF DL-PHENYLALANINE IN A MEMBRANE REACTOR

PURIFICATION OF THE PRODUCTS OF AN ENZYMATIC REACTION FROM DILUTE AQUEOUS SOLUTION CAN BE ENERGY- AND EQUIPMENT- INTENSIVE. HOWEVER, TWO-LAYER MEMBRANE BIOREACTORS CONSISTING OF SANDWICHES OF PERMSELECTIVE AND IMMOBILIZED ENZYME MEMBRANES CAN BE DESIGNED TO SEPARATE AND CONCENTRATEREACTION PRODUCTS AS THEY ARE PRODUCED, THEREBY IMPROVING EFFICIENCY AND ECONOMY OF BIOCONVERSION PROCESSES. IN THE PROPOSED PROGRAM, WE WILL INVESTIGATE IMMOBILIZED-ENZYME MEMBRANE REACTORS FOR THE OPTICAL RESOLUTION OF CHEMICALLY SYNTHESIZED, RACEMIC AMINO ACID MIXTURES BASED ON REACTIONS CATALYZED BY THE ENZYMES CHYMOTRYPSIN AND AMINOACYLASE. WHEN FED A RECEIVING MIXTURE OF AN APPROPRIATE AMINO ACID DERIVATIVE, THESE MEMBRANE REACTORS WILL SIMULTANEOUSLY EFFECT THE DESIRED STEREOSPECIFIC BIOCONVERSION, CONCENTRATETHE L-ISOMER REACTION PRODUCT, AND SEPARATE IT FROM UNCONVERTED D-ISOMER. OUR OBJECTIVE IN THIS PHASE I PROGRAMIS TO DEMONSTRATE THE ABILITY OF MEMBRANE REACTORS TO PRODUCE OPTICALLY PURE L-PHENYLALANINE AND TO ESTABLISH THE SIGNIFICANCE OF PRODUCT SEPARATION AND ENRICHMENT TO PROCESSFEASIBILITY.