By Industrial Science & Technology Network, Inc.
ISTN has developed a silica-chitosan based nanopore material to which it can effectively immobilize enzymes. The basic concept of NEED is to immobilize enzymes onto a nanopore support and to enhance its performance by engineering the support's surface composition as well as pore morphology. Once the enzymes are immobilized it is possible to utilize the numerous interfaces existing between an interpenetrating network of hydrophobic silica gel and hydrophilic chitosan polymer to modulate and enhance the enzyme's activity and selectivity. Initial studies have shown this technology's potential to be used to produce a number of valuable compounds including chiral drug intermediates, fine chemicals, food/beverage compounds. Thus, new nanopore materials can be designed for enzymes to accomplish both immobilization and performance enhancement simultaneously (NEED). For enzymes attached onto a nanopore substrate, their chemical environment could be favorably modified by their nearby surface ligands due to the close distances (few nanometers) among functional groups. ISTN has recently received a $173,000 Phase-II SBIR grant from the NIH to continue development of its NEED technology. This grant will allow the technology to begin to target several of its intended application areas. ISTN is seeking partners in developing this technology for commercial use.
