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Hot Biological Catalysis: Isothermal Titration Calorimetry to Characterize Enzymatic Reactions
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A comprehensive review on microbial urease: features and industrial applications
Amiya Ojha1, Tarun Kanti Bandyopadhyay2, Deeplina Das1
1Department of Bioengineering, NIT Agartala, Agartala, Tripura, India.
Critical Reviews in Biotechnology
|November 12, 2025
Summary
Microbial ureases offer superior stability for biotechnology applications compared to plant-based sources. This review highlights advancements in microbial urease production and applications, focusing on eco-friendly microbially induced carbonate precipitation.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Enzyme Engineering
- Biocatalysis
Background:
- Urease (urea amidohydrolase, EC 3.5.1.5) is crucial in biotechnology, with a global market valued at USD 1.24 billion in 2024.
- Plant-derived ureases face scalability issues due to low extraction efficiency and environmental sensitivity.
- Microbial ureases provide enhanced stability across extreme conditions, expanding their application potential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide quantitative insights into microbial ureases from bacteria, fungi, and diatoms.
- To highlight advancements in assay techniques and purification strategies for industrial production.
- To explore diverse applications, including agriculture, bioremediation, and self-healing concrete.
Main Methods:
- Review of quantitative data on microbial urease catalytic efficiency and Ni-dependencies.
- Analysis of advancements in assay techniques for urease activity.
- Evaluation of enhanced purification strategies for microbial ureases.
Main Results:
- Microbial ureases exhibit superior stability and catalytic efficiency compared to plant-derived counterparts.
- Microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) driven by ureolysis is a sustainable approach for applications.
- Optimized purification strategies and cost-effective production methods are crucial for industrial scale-up.
Conclusions:
- Microbial ureases are vital for biotechnology, offering advantages over plant sources.
- Further research into cost-effective production and purification is needed for widespread industrial adoption.
- Ureolysis-driven MICP presents a promising eco-friendly application for microbial ureases.
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