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BioTechnology QUESTION #10607
Question 1
Enzyme immobilisation is commercially preferred for bioconversions because immobilised enzymes:
  • Have higher turnover numbers than free enzymes
  • Can be recovered and reused, reducing the cost per unit of product✔️
  • Are not subject to product inhibition unlike free enzymes
  • Operate optimally at higher temperatures than free enzymes
Correct Answer Explanation
Enzyme immobilisation — covalent attachment, entrapment, cross-linking, or adsorption onto solid supports — allows the enzyme to be retained in the reactor while product flows through. Benefits: (1) reuse over many cycles (greatly reduces enzyme cost per kg product), (2) ease of product-enzyme separation, (3) potential improvement in stability. Industrial examples: glucose isomerase (immobilised, for HFCS production), lactase, penicillin acylase, and lipases for biodiesel.