3D printed PLA enzyme microreactors: Characterization and application for the modification of bioactive compounds.

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology and biochemical engineering
• Sustainable chemical processing
• Microfluidics and reactor design

Background:

• Continuous-flow technologies enhance biocatalytic process sustainability through high productivity and minimal waste.
• Integrating microreactor design with 3D printing offers expanded engineering possibilities.
• Chitosan-based surface modification of 3D-printed scaffolds is explored for enzyme immobilization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a protocol for modifying 3D-printed scaffolds for enzyme immobilization.
• To create multi-well microreactor plates for efficient parameter testing.
• To demonstrate the application of the developed system for continuous bioconversion of biophenols.

Main Methods:

• Surface modification of 3D-printed polylactic acid (PLA) scaffolds using chitosan deposition.
• Immobilization of laccase from Trametes versicolor onto the modified scaffolds.
• Optimization of chitosan concentration, cross-linker concentration, and incubation time.
• Continuous flow bioconversion of hydroxytyrosol and other biophenols using a peristaltic flow pattern.

Main Results:

• Successful immobilization of laccase on 3D-printed PLA scaffolds.
• Optimized protocol achieved a high Titer, Time, and Number (TTN) of 438.6 × 10^3 for hydroxytyrosol bioconversion over 10 hours.
• A peristaltic flow pattern resulted in 95% bioconversion efficiency within 1 hour.
• The system demonstrated efficiency in biotransforming various dietary biophenols.

Conclusions:

• The developed protocol enables effective enzyme immobilization on 3D-printed scaffolds for continuous-flow biocatalysis.
• The 3D-printed microreactor system offers a sustainable and versatile platform for biophenol biotransformation.
• This approach holds significant potential for industrial applications in green chemistry and biotechnology.