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Updated: Jun 23, 2026

Immobilization of Multi-biocatalysts in Alginate Beads for Cofactor Regeneration and Improved Reusability
Published on: April 22, 2016
Fungal nitrilases as biocatalysts: Recent developments.
Ludmila Martínková1, Vojtěch Vejvoda1, Ondřej Kaplan1
1Centre of Biocatalysis and Biotransformation, Institute of Microbiology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Vídeňská 1083, CZ-142 20 Prague, Czech Republic.
Fungal nitrilases from Fusarium and Aspergillus species show potential for industrial applications. Their production can be significantly enhanced, and they demonstrate stability when immobilized for biocatalysis and environmental remediation.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Enzymology
- Environmental Microbiology
Background:
- Limited characterization of numerous putative fungal nitrilases.
- Need for understanding enzyme properties and production optimization.
Purpose of the Study:
- Characterize fungal nitrilases from Fusarium and Aspergillus species.
- Investigate methods for enhancing enzyme production and stability.
- Assess potential for biocatalytic applications and bioremediation.
Main Methods:
- Purification and characterization of fungal nitrilases.
- Optimization of enzyme production using 2-cyanopyridine.
- Immobilization of whole-cell and subcellular biocatalysts.
- Operational stability testing in membrane bioreactors.
Main Results:
- Purified nitrilases prefer (hetero)aromatic nitriles with optimal temperatures of 40-50°C and alkaline pH.
- Enzyme production increased up to 1000-fold with 2-cyanopyridine.
- Immobilized biocatalysts showed operational stability.
Conclusions:
- Fungal nitrilases are promising biocatalysts with tunable chemoselectivity.
- Enhanced production and immobilization strategies improve their applicability.
- Potential for use in biocatalysis and biodegradation of nitrile pollutants.
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