Microfluidic droplet based enzyme variant screening : Towards improved enzymes for industrial applications

• We present a microdroplet based assay for selection of efficient variants of bacterially produced amylase enzyme to improve these enzymes for industrial applications. Fluorescent analysis of α-amylase in droplets at relevant concentrations demonstrates the discrimination of wild type α-amylase at stressed and non-stressed conditions. Dielectrophoretic sorting enables enrichment of target droplets from 48% to 98.1%. Finally the viability and proliferation of Bacillus Subtilis in droplets is demonstrated. This demonstrates an enzyme analysis and screening assay in the microfluidic droplets format for selection of an industrially relevant enzyme and a basis for further enzyme selections where fluorogenic substrates are available.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Biological Sciences (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Cells

Droplet microfluidics

Enzymes

High throughput

Bacillus Subtilis

Dielectrophoretic

Fluorescent analysis

Fluorogenic substrate

Microfluidic droplets

Screening assays

Drops

Industrial applications

Microfluidics

Amylases

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

kon (subject category)