Typically, industrial enzymes are very sensitive to pH, temperature, humidity, and contaminants. Scientists are hard pressed to continuously improve the operating conditions of enzymes to enable their functioning on par with conventional chemicals.
Apart from sensitivity to surroundings, enzymes are also difficult to store since their shelf life is shorter than most chemicals. Scientists hope to overcome these issues by developing recombinant enzymes by cloning and isolating specific complementary DNA (cDNA) strands that encode the required enzyme.
Another promising area of development is the production of catalytic antibodies through expression by utilising microorganisms such as E.coli. Immuno-expression libraries encoding these antibodies expect to be used to manufacture them. In future, these antibodies are likely to be attached to specific enzymes that help in concentrating the enzyme on its target substrate.
"With the advent of newer protein design techniques such as protein engineering and molecular evolution, operating conditions and performance of newer enzyme candidates can be improved to obtain the desired performance,“ says Frost & Sullivan Technical Insights Research Analyst Anil Naidu.
Advancements in biotechnology and genomics have aided the discovery of fresh enzyme sources and production strains for commercialisation.
Innovative detection and high throughput technologies are expected to ease the issues of recognition and implementation of assay technologies. They are likely to go a long way in identifying and producing newer industrial enzymes.
Despite the improvements in technology, the market revenue has not shown substantial growth since most of the commercial enzymes produced are used for detergent and starch processing applications. The price-conscious end users of these segments cause the profit margins to remain slim.
"The recent price wars in the industrial enzyme markets have limited the ability of merchant manufacturers to customise enzymes for niche segments,“ says Naidu. "They have, instead, allowed smaller companies to tailor and market enzymes for specific end uses.“
The several technical and commercial challenges notwithstanding, leveraging the expertise of site-directed mutagenesis and cutting-edge recombinant technologies can create novel enzymes for various applications. Enzymes are not only more effective and economical than chemicals but are also environmentally safer since they reduce industrial waste.
The future of industrial enzymes looks bright, especially in the bio-manufacturing processes. Enzymatic syntheses are both economical and environment-friendly, and hence, they are considered ideal replacements for chemical processes.
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