Magnesium phosphate cement as matrix system

Enzymes are often required as biocatalysts in different application of biotechnological processes. However, isolation of a single enzyme is in many cases time-consuming and expensive. Therefore, the immobilization of living microorganisms, which synthesize the desired enzyme, recently becomes in a favourable alternative. Although a reduction of the enzyme activity needs to be accepted, the immobilization of microorganisms in matrix systems has several advantages:

- prevention of wash-out of the microorganisms,

- protection from external influences like shear forces, solvents and acids.

A distinctive advantage is given in cases where immobilized microorganisms are utilized to catalyze complex reaction mechanisms, which cannot be facilitated by isolated enzymes. Our developed magnesium phosphate cement was successfully utilized as matrix system, in which Rhodococcus ruber (bacteria) and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast), respectively, were immobilized as model organisms. Due to the biologically and environmentally uncritical components the application in biotechnological production of food additives, fine chemicals, as well as biocatalysts in bioremediation engineering can be considered.

It could be demonstrated that the embedded Rhodococcus ruber and Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains survived and could metabolise phenol and glucose, respectively. Furthermore, the revealed bioactive composite material showed a good mechanical and chemical stability.

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