The immobilization of whole cells: Engineering principles

Biocatalysis: Immobilized cells and enzymes

The role of penicillin amidases in nature and in industry

Although the application of the natural attraction of many microorganisms to surfaces has been applied in vinegar production since the early 1980s, and has long been utilized in waste water purification, the development of microbial cell immobilization techniques for special applications dates back only to the early 1960s. The immobilization may involve whole cells, cell fragments, or lysed cells. Whole cells may retain their metabolic activity with their complex multienzyme systems and cofactor regeneration mechanisms intact, or they may be killed in the process with only a few desired enzymes remaining active in the final biocatalyst. Cells may also be coimmobilized with an enzyme to carry out special reactions. Although relatively few industrial scale applications exist today, some are of very large scale. Current applications vary from relatively small scale steroid conversions to amino acid production and high fructose syrup manufacture. A vast number of potential applications are already known, and one of the most interesting applications may be in continuous fermentation such as ethanol production by immobilized living microorganisms. 373 references.

Industrial Applications of Immobilized Cells

Penicillin V acylase : its potential in the production of 6-aminopenicillanic acid

In the process of developing a most efficient immobilized cell system for the production of 6 APA, two routes have been followed: (1) increase of the specific activity of the cell system itself and (2) selection of the appropriate immobilization technique.

F. Wagner

Papers

Immobilization of Whole Microbial Cells for the Production of 6- Amino Penicillanic Acid