Plasma-driven biocatalysis
Milder conditions, less energy consumption and waste The weak spot of enzyme biocatalysis is the low stability of some enzymes. "Since the enzyme often has to be replaced in such cases -- which is expensive -- it is extremely important to increase the stability under production conditions," explains lead author Abdulkadir Yayci from the Chair of Applied Microbiology headed by Professor Julia Bandow. To this end, the researchers investigated plasmas as a source of hydrogen peroxide. Plasma describes the fourth state of matter that is created when energy is added to a gas. If liquids are treated with plasmas, a large number of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species are formed, some of which then react to form long-lived hydrogen peroxide, which can be used for biocatalysis. Materials provided by Ruhr-University Bochum. Note: Content may be edited for style and length. Scientists Discover…