Enzyme activity

• • Enzymes can be added to solutions and are thereby considered ‘free’ or they can be immobilised
  • Immobilised enzymes are enzymes that have been bound to an inert, stationary and insoluble material such as alginate
  • The substrate is then passed over the immobilised enzyme and the product is collected
• • Advantages to this method:
  • There is no enzyme in the product (the product is uncontaminated) and therefore there is no need to further process or filter the end product
  • The immobilised enzyme can be reused multiple times which is both efficient and cost-effective (enzymes are expensive)
  • Immobilised enzymes have a greater tolerance of temperature and pH changes (immobilisation often makes enzymes more stable)