United States of America, As Represented by the Secretary of Agriculture

Siyuan Shen

Thomas A Foglia

Shu-I Tu

An-Fei Hsu

Immobilized bioactive protein compositions are prepared containing a bioactive protein such as an enzyme intercalated into galleries of a phyllosilicate, and a crosslinking compound crosslinking the phyllosilicate and the bioactive protein. The phyllosilicate may contain sodium or alkylammonium ions and be montmorillonite. The protein may be lipoxygenase, and crosslinking compounds include tetramethyl orthosilicate, tetraethoxy silicate, propyltrimethoxy silicate, polydimethylortho silicate and methyltrimethoxy silicate. The composition is prepared by delaminating a sodium-saturated phyllosilicate, mixing a bioactive protein with the delaminated phyllosilicate and crosslinking with a crosslinking compound. After crosslinking, the composition may be vacuum dried and ground. The composition can also be prepared by delaminating a montmorillonite, saturating the delaminated montmorillonite with sodium ions, mixing the resultant montmorillonite with an enzyme, adding tetramethyl orthosilicate, allowing crosslinking, and drying. Activities of up to 170% of free protein are achieved using the immobilized bioactive protein compositions, and the compositions retain up to 98% original activity after being stored at room temperature for two weeks.

Growing community of inventors

Wyndmoor, PA, United States of America

Siyuan Shen