Immobilization of Enzymes

Dear Colleagues,

Enzymes are extremely versatile and powerful catalysts used in several fields (fine chemicals, pharmaceuticals, food, plastics, cosmetics, biofuels); moreover, they often represent an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional chemical catalysts. However, the competitiveness of biocatalyzed processes with respect to the “conventional” chemical ones is often hampered by the poor long-term operational stability of the biocatalysts and their difficult recovery and re-use. These drawbacks can generally be overcome by enzyme immobilization that, by definition, produces “an enzyme confined in a defined region of space with retention of catalytic activity, increased stability and which can be used repeatedly and continuously”. Thus, it is not surprising that enzyme immobilization is frequently considered as a pre-requisite to the development of an enzyme as a biocatalyst for synthetic applications.

Many efforts have been devoted over the years to the development of various immobilization techniques and materials. Nevertheless, the optimal immobilization technique often needs to be tailored for each enzyme to fit both the peculiar enzyme features and the final process. Combining information derived from protein sequence, 3-D structure, reaction mechanism and process features with data on physical/chemical properties of the carrier is pivotal to develop ad hoc immobilization strategies.

For this Special Issue, we welcome contributions from all aspects of enzyme immobilization, may they be related to fundamental science or practical applications, that can be outlined by the following keywords:

• Enzyme immobilization techniques
• Enzyme co-immobilization for cascade reactions
• Rational design of immobilization
• Improved enzyme properties via immobilization
• Novel supports for enzyme immobilization
• Enzyme modification to improve immobilization on solid support
• Biotransformations catalyzed by immobilized enzymes

Dr. Immacolata Serra
Prof. Daniela Ubiali
Guest Editors

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