Multiphase Bioreactor Design

Esterification/Transesterification to obtain flavour

and aroma components

(Carvalho et al., 1997;

Sebastião et al., 1993)

Production of mono-and di-glycerides

(emulsifiers).

(Hayes and Gulari,

1991)

Hydrolysis of complex long-chain oils (Han and Rhee, 1986)

Synthesis of triglycérides (Morita et al., 1984)

Hydrolysis of proteins

Peptide synthesis

(Luthi and Luisi, 1984;

Pessina et al., 1988)

Hydrolysis of milk fat (Chen and Chang, 1993;

Patel et al., 1996b)

Food industry

Oligosaccharide synthesis (Bielecki and Idem-

Somiari, 1998)

Steroid conversions (Hedström et al., 1992;

Larsson et al., 1987)

Enantioselective synthesis of ibuprofen (Hedström et al., 1993)

Enhancement of (S)-naproxen prodrug production

from racemic naproxen

(Chang and Tsai, 1997)

Pharmaceutical
industry

Synthesis of prostanoids/prostaglandins

Oxidation/reduction of ketones and alchols such as

phenols

(Leaver et al., 1987)

Regioselective acylations of glycols and sugars

Chemical industry

Asymmetric lipid transesterifications

Synthesis of macrocyclic lactones

(Rees et al., 1995a)

Removal of metal ions from aqueous streams

Degradation of pesticides like paraoxon by

organophosphorous hydrolase

(Komives et al., 1994)

Environmental
applications

Coal desulphurisation using Thiobacillus

ferrooxidans cell-free enzyme extract

(Lee and Yen, 1990)

reversed micelles despite the changes detected in Km and kcat constants, compared to the
values attained in aqueous buffer (Durfor et al., 1988). Abzymes have also been used in
reverse micelles to catalyze enantiomeric resolutions (Janda, 1993). Abzyme 26D9 was
the most stereoselective type tested, using only one enantiomer type in a highly
unfavorable chemical process. Transesterification reactions have also been proven to be
feasible (Janda, 1993).

Determinant Factors for Biocatalysis in Reversed Micelles

This section focuses on the micellar reaction variables and their significance for the
biocatalytic process as well as for enzyme stability.

Reversed micellar bioreaction systems 195