Scaling Up Biocatalysis Reactions in Flow Reactors

Abstract

Biocatalytic oxidase processes can benefit from improved mixing and mass transfer, as can all multiphase processes. Flow reactors are established for their mixing capabilities, but there are practical challenges in terms of slurry and gas/liquid handling. The oxidase of the dl -amino acid was studied and scaled up in flow in a Coflore system and compared to batch processing conditions. The improved mass transfer under flow conditions resulted in a reduction in reaction time, enzyme consumption, and pressure drop.