Biocatalysys and biopolimer as biotechnology applications
April 29, 2009 – 1:21 pm
The most important components of living cell, proteins, carbohydrates, and nucleic acids are polymers. Nature uses polymers as constructive elements and parts of complicated cell machinery. The salient feature of functional biopolymers is their all-or-nothing or at least highly nonlinear response to external stimuli. Small changes happen in response to varying parameters until the critical point is reached; then a transition occurs in the narrow range of the varied parameter, and after the transition is completed, there is no significant further response of the system.
Recent decades witnessed the appearance of synthetic functional polymers, which respond in some desired way to a change in temperature, pH, electric or magnetic fields, or some other parameters. These polymers were nicknamed stimuli-responsive. The name “smart polymers” was coined because of the similarity of the stimuli-responsive polymers to biopolymers.
Applications of polymers in biotechnology and medicine are discussed in this article. The highly nonlinear response of smart polymers to small changes in the external medium is of critical importance for the successful functioning of a system. Most applications of polymers in biotechnology and medicine include biorecognition and/or biocatalysis, which take place principally in aqueous solutions. Thus, only water-compatible smart polymers are considered; smart polymers in organic solvents or water/organic solvent mixtures are beyond the scope of the article.
One could define smart polymers used in biotechnology and medicine as macromolecules that undergo fast and reversible changes from hydrophilic to hydrophobic microstructure triggered by small changes in their environments. These microscopic changes are apparent at the macroscopic level as precipitate formation in solutions of smart polymers or changes in the wettability of a surface to which a smart polymer is grafted. The changes are reversible, and the system returns to its initial state when the trigger is removed.
note: for further information, please read Encyclopedia of Polimer Science and Technology. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (2005)
