Recent development and future directions of enzyme technology in Japan.
Fundamental research in enzymology have remarkably developed during the past thirty years. However, the actual application of enzymes has been rather limited for several technical and economical reasons. Such limiting factors are now being overcome year after year. Immobilized enzyme and cell technology might be a kind of break-through in this field. From the industrial view-point, enzyme technology is now coming into its real developmental stage. Enzyme technology has recently been finding several directions for its development. These directions may be classified as follows : (1) new industrial catalysts, (2) Tools for food production and processing, (3) pharmaceutical uses, (4) analytical and measurement tools, (5) aids for screening new physiologically active substances, and (6) aids for creation of new sources of energy and raw materials. The authors wish to demonstrate such directions of enzyme technology using actual examples studied and/or operated mainly in Japan.
Sanmejima
H
H
Technical Division, Kyowa IIakko Koggo Co., Ltd. 1-6-l, Ohte-machi, Chigoda-ku, Tokyo 100, Japan.
Kimura
K
K
Ado
Y
Y
D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000737:chemistry; D000681:Amylases / Q000737:chemistry; D001671:Biochemistry / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends*; D002384:Catalysis; D002626:Chemistry, Pharmaceutical / Q000379:methods; D004798:Enzymes / Q000737:chemistry; D004800:Enzymes, Immobilized / Q000737:chemistry; D007564:Japan; D008956:Models, Chemical; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry; D012106:Research / Q000639:trends; D013696:Temperature
D004798:Enzymes; D004800:Enzymes, Immobilized; D010455:Peptides; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D000681:Amylases