Enzymes can be defined as proteins that have catalytic functions supporting vital biochemical reactions. They are typically derived from plant, animal, or microbial sources. Enzymes either start a process or help to accelerate an existing process. They also enable the removal or transformation of one substance into another.
The last few years have witnessed tremendous progress in enzyme technology and product development. These biocatalysts have gained a lot of attention recently mainly as they are considered as alternatives to chemical catalysts. This is because enzymes have been found to be superior in terms of selectivity, energy efficiency, and environmental safety. That is, enzymes are more specific in their action than synthetic chemicals and involve fewer side reactions and by-products resulting in higher quality product. They are also biodegradable and can replace synthetic and sometimes harmful chemicals that were previously used in conventional processing. Another benefit offered by enzymes is that small amounts of the enzyme can catalyze large amounts of the substrate.
Enzymes application
Enzymes are mainly used in the areas of food and beverage production and processing such as sugar and starch processing, dairy products, beer production, wine processing, juice processing and baking industry.
Such enzymes that are employed by the food industry are classified as food enzymes. Technical enzyme been defined as those used in the detergent sector, textile, leather, paper and pulp processing. In addition, there are enzymes being used in feed processing that come under animal feed enzymes and those that are used in medical and therapeutic processes are known as medical/therapeutic enzymes.
Although all of the above application sectors refer to traditional uses of enzymes, today, new product and technology development is enabling numerous new applications within the food, feed, and technical sectors that result in significant cost reductions.
Briefly, enzyme technology is considered to be a key technology that could allow sustainable futures, as it not only facilitates the development of novel products for conventional industries but also opens up possibilities for use in previously unknown application areas.
Enzyme technology
White biotechnology – the use of microorganisms such as yeast, mold or bacteria, and enzymes to produce goods and services – is an emerging field within modern biotechnology. This is expected to play a pivotal role in ensuring sustainability in the industry and in encouraging cleaner industrial processes. Genetic engineering forms the base for the development of enzyme technology. It is a key enabler in obtaining any desired enzyme on a large scale, at high levels of purity. The use of genetic engineering techniques is facilitating the development of enzymes for new application areas and processes.
Enzyme production typically involves enzyme discovery, enzyme optimization, and enzyme production. Advances in biotechnology and genomics are expected to have a tremendous impact on the discovery of new enzymes and the fabrication of new production strains. For instance, to discover new genes and proteins, genomic or Complementary DNA (cDNA) libraries are created from bacterial and fungal cultures, which are then screened for the gene or protein of interest using techniques such as functional assays for selected activities, expression cloning, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) screening, and signal trapping. Metagenomics, transcript profiling, and bioinformatics are other new tools that are being used in enzyme discovery.
Enzyme optimization could involve the use of directed evolution or a protein engineering approach known as rational design to obtain an enzyme that has the desired properties for an industrial application. Finally, large-scale production of enzymes typically involves fermentation, scale-up, recovery steps (such as filtration, extraction, large-scale chromatography, and crystallization), and formulation.
The technology developments related to biotechnology are expected to further improve the tools that can enable faster identification, screening, and isolation of enzymes. However, with the increasing use of gene technology for industrial enzyme production, social factors such as consumer attitude have become important for developers, food producers, and regulatory institutions.
New food directives are expected to mandate labeling when either enzymes or genetically modified (GM) materials are used in food production. The impact of regulations is quite different for food and industrial enzymes. In the case of food enzymes, legislation varies from country to country and sometimes, local food regulations need to be consulted. On the other hand, the regulatory environment does not play a major role in the commercialization of new biocatalysts for chemical processing.
Outlook
Since the enzyme industry is highly competitive, it offers little scope for new entrants. Moreover, industry participants need to continuously innovate to be successful in this product-driven marketplace. Two business strategies adopted by firms in the enzyme industry to ensure they maintain a competitive edge over their peers are through new product development and new business development. The use of genetic engineering tools has resulted in improved product quality as well as production efficiencies.
From our research, industry players have begun active research and development that is propelling the adoption of these biological catalysts in new industries such as pharma, environmental and energy, which is mainly strengthened by concerns regarding health, energy, raw materials, and the environment. Frost & Sullivan has identified biofuels, biopharmaceuticals, and biochemicals to be the three most promising new business development areas that the firms are pursuing.
