Marine biocatalysts: enzymatic features and applications

Area of Science:

• Marine Biology
• Biocatalysis
• Enzyme Engineering

Background:

• Marine ecosystems harbor vast biodiversity, representing a significant reservoir for novel biocatalysts.
• Marine enzymes exhibit unique habitat-related features, including salt tolerance, hyperthermostability, barophilicity, and cold adaptivity.
• These enzymes possess novel chemical and stereochemical characteristics, attracting interest from academia and industry.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review marine enzymes as biocatalysts, highlighting their habitat-related properties.
• To explore the chemical and stereochemical diversity of marine biocatalysts.
• To discuss current and potential applications of marine enzymes in the chemical and pharmaceutical fields.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of marine biocatalysis.
• Analysis of habitat-related properties of marine enzymes.
• Examination of chemical and stereochemical characteristics of marine biocatalysts.

Main Results:

• Marine enzymes possess unique properties suitable for biocatalysis.
• Significant chemical and stereochemical diversity exists within marine biocatalysts.
• Numerous patent applications indicate growing industrial interest in marine enzymes.

Conclusions:

• Marine biocatalysts represent a largely untapped resource with significant potential for biocatalysis.
• Further exploration of marine biodiversity is crucial for discovering novel enzymes.
• Sustainable methods for enzyme discovery and production are needed to avoid destructive biomass collection.