Attività di ricerca di post-dottorato

The nanotechnology field has been growing in recent years and different research areas have benefited from this advance, in particular, the fusion with biotechnology has resulted in further innovative progress and “nanobiocatalysis” is one typical example. Nanoporous materials can offer to the enzymatic immobilization process a large surface area that results in higher enzyme loading and the reduction of the carrier size to a nanometer level offers lower mass-transfer resistance when compared with traditional immobilization techniques. Dr. Palocci’s group has been working in this highly potential research area and recently patented a novel preparation methodology of nanostructured poly-DL-lactic acid (PDLLA) based carriers that increase the activity and stability of Candida rugosa lipase (CRL). The main objective of this postdoctoral stay in Dr. Palocci’s lab will be to extend this work, analyzing the modification of certain experimental parameters that allow to obtain bioconjugates with higher activities and stabilities and as far as possible, look for possible explications to this phenomenon in the analysis of potential enzymatic conformational changes in the immobilization process. The specific objectives of this research project are: • Study of the influence of the nanocarrier dimensions on the activity and stability of CRL. • Evaluation of the effects of the chemicophysical properties of the nanoparticle on the enzymatic performance. • Extension of this study to other lipolytic enzymes.