Improving the performance of immobilized β-glucosidase using a microreactor

Area of Science:

• Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering
• Chemical Engineering and Reactor Design
• Biotechnology and Sustainable Chemistry

Background:

• Conventional batch reactors often suffer from limitations like product inhibition and lower conversion rates.
• Enzyme immobilization is crucial for developing reusable and stable biocatalytic systems.
• Microreactor technology offers advantages in process control and efficiency for enzymatic reactions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a simple and efficient method for creating a continuous flow microreactor using immobilized β-glucosidase.
• To investigate the performance of the microreactor in terms of cellobiose conversion and stability.
• To compare the microreactor's efficiency against conventional batch operational configurations.

Main Methods:

• Immobilization of β-glucosidase within a silica quartz capillary tube.
• Modification of the capillary's inner wall using 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane and glutaraldehyde as crosslinking agents.
• Continuous operation of the microreactor for cellobiose digestion assays.

Main Results:

• The microreactor demonstrated enhanced pH and thermal stability.
• Maximum cellobiose conversion rate reached 76% at 50°C and pH 4.8, significantly higher than the 56% in batch mode.
• Product inhibition by glucose was substantially reduced due to enhanced diffusion in the flow system.

Conclusions:

• The developed continuous flow microreactor offers superior performance compared to traditional batch methods for cellobiose digestion.
• Enzyme immobilization in silica capillaries provides a stable and efficient platform for biocatalysis.
• The microreactor design effectively mitigates product inhibition, paving the way for more efficient enzymatic processes.