ABSTRACT

The immobilization of enzymes through physical adsorption has practical difficulties because adsorbed enzyme is weakly bound and is lost rather easily during its practical use. The inert carrier materials generally used in immobilization of enzymes include glass beads, clays, charcoal, ion-exchange resins, and many organic polymers, such as poly(amino) styrene, phosphogenated polymers, mercuric-acetate derivatives of polymers, and other synthetic polymers or copolymers. This describes a novel process utilizing principle and practice of electrophoresis in the electrocodeposition of collagen and enzyme to form an active enzyme membrane complex. The electrically conductive materials of choice for use as electrodes for our purpose of forming active enzyme collagen membrane complexes are stainless steel and platinum. The collagen-urease membrane complex 12 is coiled upon the spacers 16 and adheres to the glass rods when wet with water. The equivalent free enzyme activities at the stable limit are rather high except that for penicillin amidase, where rather dilute enzyme solution was used in complex formation.