Immobilization

Fixing microbial, plant, and animal cells — plus macromolecules such as enzymes — firmly onto solid surfaces or safely inside gels. The fixed cells and molecules then serve repeatedly in bioconversions, biotransformations, affinity chromatography, and biosensors. Once fixed in place, cells and enzymes can be reused across many reaction cycles and run in continuous processes without being washed away. The technique underpins continuous fermentation and enzymatic processing across the food and biotechnology industries, improving the economics and process control of large-scale food production.