Student: Arijana Helbet
Committee: Dr. Lenore Dai and Dr. Julianne Holloway
Abstract:
Enzymatically catalyzed reactions effectively convert starting material to a vast array of desirable products by expediting a chemical reaction’s activation energy barrier. This review provided insight about enzyme mechanisms, kinetics, and inhibition functions. A few case studies were examined to illustrate current advancements made within the research community. One study illustrated the importance of accounting for substrate inhibition for a wide-range of aldehyde concentrations in aldehyde dehydrogenase enzyme-catalyzed reactions. Assuming the absence of substrate inhibition at specific conditions resulted in significant errors when characterizing kinetic parameters. A second study determined 2-phenyl-1,3-4(H)benzothiazin-4-thione was the most potent inhibitor on the enzyme aspartate transcarbamylase (ATCase). This study illustrated promising hope that the quinazolinone derivative mentioned above could be applied in metabolic pathways to inhibit certain enzymes associated with tumor growth for cancer research. Some industrial applications that utilized enzyme catalysts for large scale processing were explored. For instance, one study explored poly-lysine cross-linked penicillin G acylase (PGA) enzyme aggregates to synthesize amoxicillin for the pharmaceutical industry. Because there were competing reaction pathways, the study optimized process parameters to drive the route toward amoxicillin synthesis. Moreover, poly-lysine cross-linked enzyme aggregates displayed promising potential in this manufacturing application because of their ability to maintain stability and reusability. It was worthwhile to explore the environmental implications of enzyme catalysis in applications like cosmetics, biodiesel, and textiles. Traditionally, these applications utilized chemical catalysts that were processable at elevated temperatures and generated toxic byproducts during processing. Alternatives to these traditional chemical catalysts were enzyme biocatalysts that were proven to expedite chemical reactions at ambient conditions while minimizing undesirable byproducts though a sustainable approach. Enhancing enzyme recovery for recycling and downstream processing are means of overcoming for the implementation of enzyme catalysts in applications favorable for their sustainable advantages.
Zoom Room:https://asu.zoom.us/j/4213105644
Presentation Time: 12:00-1:00 PM (Arizona Time)
