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Enzymatic biocatalysis is a new technology that offers advantages over chemocatalysis in manufacturing chemical products. The scope of enzymes used for biotransformations is broad and crosses all industrial sectors including food, pharmaceutical, textiles, biofuels, paper, chemicals and household products. Manufacturers of chemical-based products are identifying methodologies and technologies to improve sustainability. The adoption of green chemistry in chemical process research and development and manufacturing has become an important part of the strategic goals in most of these industries, especially pharmaceuticals and high-value chemicals.
Biocatalyst reaction or synthesis methods need to be optimized for myriad process parameter configurations that maximize catalytic efficiency of the enzyme without introducing undesired or deleterious consequences. Biocatalysis parameters characterized within this review include:
- Buffer and solvent selection and concentration
- Enzyme selection, surface-immobilization chemistry, efficiency of enzyme-substrate and reactor design
- pH conditions and management of by-products such as weak acids or bases
- Screening of thermal performance which may favor reaction efficiency but require balance with enzyme integrity
- Control of oxygen or other dissolved gasses, especially for certain enzymes
- Control of reactor headspace composition
- Dosing regimens appropriately modeled for process scale-up
- Mixing studies, mass transfer and multi-phase conditions
The capability to control a biocatalytic reaction, accumulate analytical data in real time, analyze this data and share the results remotely is critical given resource and personnel challenges faced by industries. Companies and scientists that invest in data rich experimentation maintain or enhance productivity despite strict work rules and limitations.
The adoption of process analytical technology (PAT) driven, data-rich process development for reaction engineering, process automation, particle system characterization and reaction analysis has been paramount to the successful propagation and scale-up of enzymatic catalysis across multiple industry sectors. The result has been an ever-increasing range of products manufactured using biocatalytic processes.
Download the white paper "Biocatalysis PAT in Process Development" to learn how PAT and digitalization in research, development, and manufacturing of biocatalysis and biotransformation processes enables rapid identification of non-viable synthesis routes, kinetic reaction measurements and screening and control of process parameters.
