Enzyme immobilization in a biomimetic silica support

Robust immobilization techniques that preserve the activity of biomolecules have many potential applications(1-8). Silicates, primarily in the form of sol-gel composites or functionalized mesoporous silica, have been used to encapsulate a wide variety of biomolecules(1,4-8) but the harsh conditions required for chemical synthesis limit their applicability(1,8). Silaffin polypeptides from diatoms catalyze the formation of silica in vitro at neutral pH and ambient temperature and pressure(9). Here we show that butyrylcholinesterase entrapped during the precipitation of silica nanospheres retained all of its activity. Ninety percent of the soluble enzyme was immobilized, and the immobilized enzyme was substantially more stable than the free enzyme. The mechanical properties of silica nanospheres facilitated application in a flow-through reactor. The use of biosilica for enzyme immobilization combines the excellent support properties of a silica matrix with a benign immobilization method that retains enzyme activity.