Immobilized enzymes: crystals or carriers?

The advantages of immobilized over soluble enzymes arise from their enhanced stability and ease of separation from the reaction media, leading to significant savings in enzyme consumption. Immobilization methods range from binding to prefabricated carrier materials to packaging in enzyme crystals or powders. During their use, mass-transfer effects can produce substrate or pH gradients, which reduce the reaction rates and product yields. The costs of immobilized enzymes must be minimized in order to increase their competitiveness for technical applications.