Courses

Enzyme Biotechnology

General

Course Contents

Lectures

  • Introduction to Enzyme Biotechnology: classification, origin, mode of action
  • Applied enzyme kinetics.
  • Downstream processing/enzyme purification technology (downstream processing protocol, solid-liquid separation methods, cell disruption, pretreatment steps, high purification steps and liquid chromatography column techniques, enzyme quality control, enzyme purification examples).
  • Immobilized biocatalysts (immobilization methods & techniques, effect of immobilization on the molecular and kinetic characteristics of the enzyme).
  • Applications of enzymes in the food industry (starch processing, bakery, brewery, winemaking, fruit juices, oils, cheese making, lactose, etc.).
  • Enzyme applications on a large scale (papermaking, textiles, tanning, detergents, animal feed).
  • Applications of enzymes in the chemical industry (amino acids, pesticides, oligosaccharides, chemical compounds, nutritional supplements).
  • Applications of enzymes in the pharmaceutical industry (antibiotics, steroids, drugs against hypercholesterolemia, HIV, hypertension, etc.).
  • Applications of enzymes in analysis (enzymes as ‘reagents’ and as ‘indicators’ of diseases, enzyme biosensors).

Laboratory exercises

  • Production of enzymes by solid state fermentation.
  • Invertase production in submerged fermentation.
  • Enzyme purification protocol from the fermentation medium.
  • Enzyme immobilization and reuse.
  • Enzymatic activity determination protocol.

Educational Goals

Upon successful completion of the course, the student will:

  • acquire knowledge of the mechanisms of action of enzymatic systems.
  • have knowledge of biotechnological enzyme production methods.
  • have knowledge of the methods and techniques used to ensure successful enzyme purification on a laboratory and industrial scale.
  • have knowledge of the methods and techniques used for the immobilization of enzymes and their application.
  • have knowledge of processes and methods for the application of enzymes in food industry.
  • have knowledge of processes and methods for the application of enzymes in the chemical and pharmaceutical industry.
  • be able to analyze, evaluate and decide on the case-by-case applicability of techniques and enzymes in order to implement specific projects or products.

General Skills

  • Search, analysis and synthesis of data and information, using the necessary technologies.
  • Adaptation to new situations.
  • Decision making.
  • Autonomous work.
  • Team work.
  • Generation of new research ideas.
  • Project planning and management.

Teaching Methods

  • Face to face.

Use of ICT means

  • Support of learning process through the electronic platform / e-class.

Teaching Organization

ActivitySemester workload
Lectures26
Laboratory practice39
Individual study30
Essay writing30
Total125

Students Evaluation

  1. Written final exam (50%), of graded difficulty, which includes:
    • Multiple choice questions.
    • Questions of short theoretical development.
    • Problems / exercises based on theoretical knowledge developed in the traditions.
  2. Laboratory exercises (30%).
  3. Group and/or individual assignments (20%).

Therefore: the overall grade is obtained as a sum of the above three individual evaluations.

Recommended Bibliography

  1. Βιβλίο [94644577]: ΕΝΖΥΜΙΚΗ ΒΙΟΤΕΧΝΟΛΟΓΙΑ, ΙΩΑΝΝΗΣ ΚΛΩΝΗΣ.
  2. Buchholz K., Kasche V., Bornscheuer U.T. (2005). Biocatalysis and Enzyme Technology, Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH, Germany, 2005.
  3. Walsh G (2002), Proteins: Biochemistry and Biotechnology, John Wiley & Sons Ltd., Chichester, UK.

Related Research Journals

  • Biotechnology and Bioengineering.
  • Industrial Biotechnology.
  • Journal of Biocatalysis and Biotransformation.
  • Journal of Biotechnology.
  • Journal of Enzyme and Microbial Technology.
  • Journal of Molecular Recognition.
  • Nature Biotechnology.
  • Protein Expression and Purification.
  • Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology.