Introduction to the Field of Enzyme Immobilization and Stabilization.

Enzyme stabilization is important for many biomedical or industrial application of enzymes (i.e., cell-free biotransformations and biosensors). In many applications, the goal is to provide extended active lifetime at normal environmental conditions with traditional substrates at low concentrations in buffered solutions. However, as enzymes are used for more and more applications, there is a desire to use them in extreme environmental conditions (i.e., high temperatures), in high substrate concentration or high ionic strength, and in nontraditional solvent systems. This chapter introduces the topic enzyme stabilization and the methods used for enzyme stabilization including enzyme immobilization.