Immobilization of lipase on cotton cloth using the layer-by-layer self-assembly technique

Lipase from Thermomyces lanuginosus was assembled into multiple layers on polyethylenimine treated cotton flannel cloth, utilising the enzymes property of forming bimolecular aggregates via layer-by-layer (LBL) immobilization technique. An increase in lipase activity with increasing enzyme layers confirmed lipase aggregation. A study to compare the activity of enzyme bound by classical LBL technique, containing alternate layers of polyethylenimine and lipase and the modified approach indicated above, showed that more enzyme was bound to cloth in the modified approach. A total of 13 U/cm(2) of enzyme were bound to cloth till the fifth layer whereas only 10.2 U/cm(2) were bound till the fifth bilayer in the classical approach. The successful assembly of lipase molecules has shown that this modified technique is a promising approach to immobilize enzymes that aggregate through hydrophobic interactions as nano-films on cloth.