STABILIZATION OF ENZYMES FOR BIOREACTORS

A PROJECT IS PROPOSED TO DEVELOP NEW STABILIZATION TECHNIQUES FOR IMMOBILIZED ENZYMES USED IN BIOREACTORS. THIS TECHNIQUE, WHICH HAS BEEN DEMONSTRATED TO SIGNIFICANTLYSTABILIZE AN ENZYME TO STORAGE AT ELEVATED TEMPERATURES, WILL BE FURTHER DEVELOPED AND APPLIED TO STABILIZATION OF FUNCTIONING IMMOBILIZED ENZYMES AS USED IN BIOREACTORS. THE RATIONALE IS TO PROVIDE AN ENVIRONMENT FOR OPTIMAL STABILITY SURROUNDING THE ENZME, THEN TO BIND IT TOGETHER BY COPOLYMERIZATION TO OBTAIN A VERY LARGE MOLECULAR WEIGHT,BUT SOLUBLE ENZYME DERIVATIVE. THE CROSSLINKED ENZYME WILL THEN BE IMMOBILIZED AND TESTED FOR STABILITY. THE ENZYME TOBE STABILIZED IN THIS MANNER DURING THE PHASE I PROJECT IS BETA-GALACTOSIDASE (LACTASE), WHICH IS USED IN BIOREACTORS TO HYDROLYZE LACTOSE IN MILK OR WHEY TO EITHER MAKE DAIRY PRODUCTS USABLE BY PEOPLE WITH LACTOSE INTOLERANCE OR TO MAKE A WASTE PRODUCT OF THE CHEESE INDUSTRY INTO A USEFUL PRODUCT. THE GOAL OF THE PHASE I PROJECT IS TO DOUBLE THE OVERALL USE LIFE (TOTAL HYDROLYSIS CAPACITY) OF IMMOBILIZED LACTASE BY THIS STABILIZATION TECHNIQUE.