Single-Enzyme Nanoparticles Armored by a Nanometer-Scale Organic/Inorganic Network

Abstract

We have developed armored single-enzyme nanoparticles (SENs) that surround each enzyme molecule with a porous composite organic/inorganic network of less than a few nanometers thick. This approach has significantly stabilized two proteases (α-chymotrypsin, CT, and trypsin, TR), and the armor network around CT is sufficiently thin and porous that it does not place a large mass-transfer limitation on the substrate. These new hybrid enzyme nanostructures offer great potential as a method to stabilize enzymes for various applications.