Scale‐up of formate dehydrogenase by partition

Abstract

Abstract Details of the process development and a flow diagram for the isolation of formate dehydrogenase from Candida boidinii are presented. Formate dehydrogenase was isolated from 30–50 kg of wet cells of C. boidinii to produce a technical‐grade enzyme, purity about 2–3 units mg −1 with yields of up to 75%. The preparation is suitable for NADH‐regeneration in a membrane reactor. A summary and comparison of different possible routes for the isolation and purification are given and analysed with regard to process time and volumes handled. It is shown, that the time required is much smaller and the resulting productivity is much higher, when aqueous two‐phase systems are fully utilised in the process.