Enzymebased

Enzyme-based refers to systems and products that rely on enzymes as catalysts. Enzymes are biological catalysts, typically proteins that accelerate chemical reactions with high specificity and efficiency, often under mild conditions of temperature and pH. They can operate within living organisms or in isolated, engineered systems and may be immobilized on supports for reuse.

Applications include industrial biocatalysis for the production of pharmaceuticals and fine chemicals; food and beverage processing (lactase for lactose-free products; amylases and proteases in baking and brewing); detergents; textile and paper processing; diagnostics and biosensors that use enzyme reactions (such as glucose oxidase in glucometers) to detect analytes.

Enzyme design and deployment involve natural enzymes, engineered variants, and immobilization strategies. Enzyme engineering (directed evolution, rational design) can improve activity, selectivity, and thermostability. Immobilization on beads, membranes, or gels enhances stability and allows reuse. Some processes rely on multi-enzyme cascades to perform sequential steps in a single reactor.

Advantages include high specificity, reduced energy and waste, and milder reaction conditions compared with chemical catalysts. Limitations involve sensitivity to temperature, pH, and inhibitors, higher production costs, stability issues, and sometimes regulatory considerations for therapeutics. Ongoing research aims to broaden substrate scope, improve stability, and develop robust enzyme-based sensors and biocatalytic processes.