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Related Concept Videos

Introduction to Enzymes01:22

Introduction to Enzymes

The use of enzymes by humans dates to 7000 BCE. Humans first used enzymes to ferment sugars and produce alcohol without knowing that this was an enzyme-catalyzed reaction. Wilhelm Kuhne coined the term 'enzyme' in 1877 from the Greek words ‘en’ meaning ‘in’ or ‘within’ and ‘zyme’ meaning ‘yeast.’
Most enzymes are proteins that speed up biochemical reactions without being consumed. Enzymes contain one or more active sites that bind the substrates and convert them into products. Many enzymes also...
Catalytically Perfect Enzymes01:07

Catalytically Perfect Enzymes

The theory of catalytically perfect enzymes was first proposed by W.J. Albery and J. R. Knowles in 1976. These enzymes catalyze biochemical reactions at high-speed. Their catalytic efficiency values range from 108-109 M-1s-1. These enzymes are also called 'diffusion-controlled' as the only rate-limiting step in the catalysis is that of the substrate diffusion into the active site. Examples include triose phosphate isomerase, fumarase, and superoxide dismutase.
Introduction To Enzymes01:22

Introduction To Enzymes

The use of enzymes by humans dates to 7000 BCE. Humans first used enzymes to ferment sugars and produce alcohol without knowing that this was an enzyme-catalyzed reaction. Wilhelm Kuhne coined the term 'enzyme' in 1877 from the Greek words ‘en’ meaning ‘in’ or ‘within’ and ‘zyme’ meaning ‘yeast.’
Most enzymes are proteins that speed up biochemical reactions without being consumed. Enzymes contain one or more active sites that bind the substrates and convert them into products. Many enzymes also...
Bioreactor Controls-III01:22

Bioreactor Controls-III

Strain improvement is a foundational strategy in industrial microbiology aimed at maximizing microbial productivity, particularly because natural isolates typically yield commercially valuable products in very low concentrations. Although optimizing the culture medium and environmental conditions can improve yields, these adjustments are inherently limited by the organism’s genetic potential. As a result, the focus shifts toward genetic modifications to enhance biosynthetic capacity. The...
Scale-Up Processes01:14

Scale-Up Processes

The scale-up of microbial fermentation processes is essential in industrial biotechnology, allowing the transition from laboratory-scale experiments to commercial-scale production while aiming to maintain product yield and quality. This process requires meticulous adjustment of equipment design, process parameters, and contamination control strategies to accommodate increasing culture volumes.At the laboratory scale, cultures are typically maintained in 1 to 10-liter glass or autoclavable...
Production of Pharmaceuticals01:30

Production of Pharmaceuticals

Industrial insulin production uses genetically engineered E. coli expressing a proinsulin gene controlled by a tryptophan promoter and containing a methionine linker for later cleavage. The cells also carry ampicillin resistance for selective growth. Seed cultures are stored at −80 °C and production begins by thawing a small amount to inoculate starter cultures, which are progressively scaled to a 50,000-L bioreactor. In the bioreactor, E. coli grow in nutrient-rich media under sterile, tightly...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 25, 2026

GENPLAT: an Automated Platform for Biomass Enzyme Discovery and Cocktail Optimization
11:38

GENPLAT: an Automated Platform for Biomass Enzyme Discovery and Cocktail Optimization

Published on: October 24, 2011

Improving the 'tool box' for robust industrial enzymes.

J A Littlechild1

  • 1Henry Wellcome Building for Biocatalysis, Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4QD, UK. J.A.Littlechild@exeter.ac.uk.

Journal of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology
|April 13, 2017
PubMed
Summary

New microbial enzymes, identified through rapid sequencing and bioinformatics, offer sustainable

Keywords:
Carbonic anhydrasesEpoxide hydrolasesEsterasesLactonasesThermophilic enzymes

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Last Updated: Jul 25, 2026

GENPLAT: an Automated Platform for Biomass Enzyme Discovery and Cocktail Optimization
11:38

GENPLAT: an Automated Platform for Biomass Enzyme Discovery and Cocktail Optimization

Published on: October 24, 2011

A Toolkit to Enable Hydrocarbon Conversion in Aqueous Environments
20:28

A Toolkit to Enable Hydrocarbon Conversion in Aqueous Environments

Published on: October 2, 2012

Multi-enzyme Screening Using a High-throughput Genetic Enzyme Screening System
08:10

Multi-enzyme Screening Using a High-throughput Genetic Enzyme Screening System

Published on: August 8, 2016

Area of Science:

  • Industrial Biotechnology
  • Green Chemistry
  • Biocatalysis

Background:

  • Microbial genome and metagenome sequencing accelerates the discovery of novel biocatalysts.
  • Enzymes offer sustainable alternatives for chemical synthesis, waste breakdown, and carbon capture.
  • Industrial biotechnology increasingly relies on 'nature's catalysts' for eco-friendly processes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent advancements in identifying and characterizing high-priority industrial enzymes.
  • To highlight the role of hydrolase enzymes in industrial applications.
  • To present case studies from the Exeter group on enzyme discovery.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing rapid microbial genome and metagenome sequencing.
  • Employing advanced bioinformatic approaches for enzyme identification.
  • Developing new rapid enzyme activity screening methodologies.

Main Results:

  • Identification of robust biocatalysts for industrial biotechnology.
  • Demonstration of sustainable and environmentally friendly chemical synthesis routes.
  • Enzymes shown to be effective in carbon dioxide capture and waste stream valorization.

Conclusions:

  • The continuous discovery of industrial enzymes is facilitated by advanced sequencing and bioinformatics.
  • Enzymes are key to developing a circular economy and green chemistry practices.
  • Specific hydrolase enzymes represent a significant resource for industrial applications.