3D model of a MOF in front of the enzyme-MOF flow reactor at the laboratory of KIT\u2019s Institute of Functional Interfaces. (Photo: Dr. Raphael Greifenstein, KIT)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nMOFs facilitate the separation of catalysts and products<\/h3>\n The innovative reactor system is based on metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). These consist of metallic nodes and organic connecting rods and have crystalline structures with defined pore sizes. Using different combinations of metal building blocks and organic ligands as well as various pore sizes, MOFs can be customised for various applications.<\/p>\n
In the case of cell-free use, enzymes act like cages. \u201cWe make the enzymes diffuse individually into the pores of the MOFs, that is they enter the cage voluntarily,\u201d explained Professor Christof W\u00f6ll, Head of IFG. \u201cThe MOFs act as an armour and protect the sensitive biomolecules from denaturation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Due to the porosity of the MOFs, transport of reactants, i.e., of the substances consumed and products resulting during the reactions, can be better controlled. Moreover, MOFs facilitate complex separation of catalyst and products, says Professor Matthias Franzreb, Deputy Head of IFG and co-author of the study.<\/p>\n
Stabilising Enzymes<\/h3>\n KIT researchers demonstrated a time- and cost-efficient manufacturing process of an enzyme-MOF flow reactor. Stability of the immobilised enzyme was estimated 30 times that of the free enzyme. Catalytic activity reached about 30% of that of a free enzyme \u2013 a high value in view of the deformation of the enzyme embedded in the MOF pores.<\/p>\n
The study was made in connection with the Cluster of Excellence \u20183D Matter Made to Order\u2019 of KIT and Heidelberg University as well as under the Helmholtz Program \u2018Materials Systems Engineering\u2019. In the future, MOFs will be modified with the help of computer-based methods such that deformation by the pores increases activity rather than reducing it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Scientists at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) create stabilising enzymes that can be used in both aqueous and organic solvents. When used as biocatalysts, enzymes accelerate many chemical reactions. At the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), researchers have now embedded enzymes in metal-organic cages (MOFs) for the first time. They then demonstrated that stabilisation […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":19356,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[24429],"tags":[763],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Biotechnology scientists create new method of stabilising enzymes<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n