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Ribozymes

Ribozymes

The term ribozyme is used for RNA that can act as an enzyme. Ribozymes are mainly found in selected viruses, bacteria, plant organelles, and lower eukaryotes. Ribozymes were first discovered in 1982 when Tom Cech’s laboratory observed Group I introns acting as enzymes. This was shortly followed by the discovery of another ribozyme, Ribonulcease P, by Sid Altman’s laboratory. Both Cech and Altman received the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 1989 for their work on ribozymes.
Ribozymes can be...

Enzyme Inhibition

Enzyme Inhibition

Inhibitors are molecules that reduce enzyme activity by binding to the enzyme. In a normally functioning cell, enzymes are regulated by a variety of inhibitors. Drugs and other toxins can also inhibit enzymes. Some inhibitors bind to the enzyme’s active site, while others inhibit enzymatic activity by binding to other sites on the protein structure.

Enzymes

Enzymes

Inside living organisms, enzymes act as catalysts for many biochemical reactions involved in cellular metabolism. The role of enzymes is to reduce the activation energies of biochemical reactions by forming complexes with its substrates. The lowering of activation energies favor an increase in the rates of biochemical reactions.
Enzyme deficiencies can often translate into life-threatening diseases. For example, a genetic abnormality resulting in the deficiency of the enzyme G6PD...

Restriction Enzymes

Restriction Enzymes

Restriction enzymes are bacterial enzymes used to cut DNA in a sequence-specific manner. To cleave DNA, they bind to specific palindromic sequences called restriction sites. Such palindromic DNA sequences or inverted repeats are commonly found in regions of functional significance, such as the origin of replication, gene operator sites, and regions containing transcription termination signals.
The host bacteria protect their own genomic DNA from these enzymes by methylating these sites. Some...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 7, 2026

Hydrophobic Salt-modified Nafion for Enzyme Immobilization and Stabilization

Hydrophobic Salt-modified Nafion for Enzyme Immobilization and Stabilization

Published on: July 11, 2012

Spherezymes: a novel structured self-immobilisation enzyme technology.

Dean Brady¹, Justin Jordaan, Clinton Simpson

¹CSIR Biosciences, Ardeer Road, Modderfontein, 1645 South Africa. dbrady@csir.co.za

BMC Biotechnology

|February 2, 2008

Summary

Researchers developed novel self-immobilised enzyme particles, called spherezymes, for enhanced biocatalysis. These robust, recoverable particles improve enzyme activity and stability in organic solvents, offering advantages over traditional immobilisation methods.

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Area of Science:

Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering
Organic Synthesis
Materials Science

Background:

Enzymes are crucial for organic synthesis and chiral resolutions.
Traditional enzyme immobilisation reduces activity and complicates recovery.
Self-immobilised enzyme particles offer a promising alternative.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop and characterize novel self-immobilised enzyme particles.
To evaluate the activity and stability of these particles in various solvents.
To explore the potential of these particles in biocatalysis.

Main Methods:

Formation of spherical enzyme particles using protein cross-linking agents in a water-in-oil emulsion.
Characterization of particle size, aggregation, and enzyme orientation.
Assessment of enzyme activity in aqueous and organic solvents.
Demonstration of particle recovery and recyclability.

Main Results:

Structured, self-immobilised spherical enzyme particles (spherezymes) of Pseudomonas fluorescens lipase were successfully synthesized.
Particles exhibited controllable size (0.5-10 µm, aggregating to ~100 µm) and were recoverable by centrifugation and filtration.
Spherezymes demonstrated enhanced activity in organic solvents and for small ester molecules compared to free enzymes.
Selective orientation of active sites and co-immobilisation capabilities were observed.

Conclusions:

Spherezymes offer a robust and efficient method for enzyme immobilisation.
These particles overcome limitations of traditional immobilisation, enhancing enzyme performance.
Spherezymes present a versatile platform for biocatalysis with potential for further development.