Industrial enzymes – Michaelis–Menten kinetics and immobilized enzymes
BiologyBiotechnologyAges 15–16Virtual lab
Use it with your class: students open it from a link or a QR code, with no account needed.
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Pick a real-world application – lactase for lactose-free milk, pectinase for clarifying fruit juice, protease in biological detergent – then adjust substrate concentration and enzyme amount to see the reaction rate saturate according to Vmax and Km. Turn on enzyme immobilized on alginate beads to reuse it across many batches and compare the cost with free enzyme, which is used only once. The Washing powder screen is a practical: cloth squares with egg or grass stains are washed with biological (protease, lipase) or non-biological powder at 20–90 °C, and the stain area left is measured.
Lesson: Enzyme technology and its applications
What it shows
Industrial enzymes follow Michaelis–Menten kinetics: the rate v = Vmax·[S]/(Km + [S]) rises almost in proportion to substrate concentration at first, then levels off once nearly every active site is occupied. Vmax is proportional to the amount of enzyme, while Km is the substrate concentration that gives half of Vmax. The simulation applies this model to three processes and adds a batch view showing how long it takes to convert most of the substrate. Enzyme immobilized on alginate beads starts with lower activity and a higher apparent Km, because substrate must diffuse into the bead, but it can be recovered and reused, losing a little activity each batch. The Washing powder screen is a practical: egg or grass stains on cloth are washed at 20–90 °C and measured by counting grid squares. Biological powder beats non-biological while its enzymes are active; above the optimum they denature and the two curves almost meet.
How to use
Choose an Application, then drag Substrate concentration from low to high and watch the red point climb the curve and flatten below Vmax. Double the Enzyme amount and compare the time needed per batch. Finally switch on Immobilized enzyme (reusable): note the lower initial rate, the bars that lengthen batch after batch, the point where activity falls below 50%, and the enzyme cost per batch compared with free enzyme. Press Record result to add the numbers to the table. On the Washing powder tab, choose Stain, Powder, Temperature and Wash time and press Wash. Each wash goes into the table and onto the graph; washes at the same temperature are averaged.
Parameters you can change
- Screen Enzyme kinetics, Washing powder
- Application Lactase – lactose-free milk, Pectinase – juice clarification, Protease – biological detergent
- Substrate concentration 1–100 g/L
- Enzyme amount 1–20 units/L
- Immobilized enzyme (reusable)
- Stain Egg, Grass
- Washing powder Biological, Non-biological
- Wash temperature 20–90 °C
- Wash time 10–60 min
Questions to explore
- When the enzyme is already saturated, which speeds up production more: adding substrate or adding enzyme?
- Why is the apparent Km of the immobilized enzyme higher than that of the free enzyme?
- After how many batches does the immobilized enzyme fall below half its activity, and why is it still cheaper per batch?
- For an egg stain washed for 30 minutes, at what temperature does biological powder remove most, and what happens above it?
- Why do the two powders give nearly the same result from about 70 °C upwards?
