Immobilization of defined laccase combinations for enhanced oxidation of phenolic contaminants

Immobilization is an important method to increase enzyme stability and allow enzyme reuse. One interesting application in the field of environmental biotechnology is the immobilization of laccase to eliminate phenolic contaminants via oxidation. Fumed silica nanoparticles have interesting potential as support material for laccase immobilization via sorption-assisted immobilization in the perspective of applications such as the elimination of micropollutants in aqueous phases. Based on these facts, the present work aimed to formulate laccase-nanoparticle conjugates with defined laccase combinations in order to obtain nanobiocatalysts, which are active over a broad range of pH values and possess a large substrate spectrum to suitably address pollution by multiple contaminants. A multi-enzymatic approach was investigated by immobilizing five different types of laccases originating from a Thielavia genus, Coriolopsis polyzona, Cerrena unicolor, Pleurotus ostreatus, and Trametes versicolor onto fumed silica nanoparticles, separately and in combinations. The laccases differed concerning their pH optima and substrate affinity. Exploiting their differences allowed the formulation of tailor-made nanobiocatalysts. In particular, the production of a nanobiocatalyst could be achieved that retained a higher percentage of its relative activity over the tested pH range (3-7) compared to the dissolved or separately immobilized enzymes. Furthermore, a nanobiocatalyst could be formulated able to oxidize a broader substrate range than the dissolved or separately immobilized enzymes. Thereby, the potential of the nanobiocatalyst for application in biochemical oxidation applications such as the elimination of multiple target pollutants in biologically treated wastewater has been illustrated.