This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project is structured to test and establish the technical feasibility of a novel biochemical system for the high efficiency removal of phenolic compounds from aqueous and organic streams of industrial and environmental importance. These materials are among the most prevalent and problematic waste treatment and environmental remediation targets. Current technologies, however, provide only partially effective treatment and are costly to implement and use. It is proposed that an enzyme, tyrosinase, which is an important element in natural systems for the transformation of phenolic compounds and which is available from a number of sources, be used in a controlled process for the oxidation of phenols to reactive intermediates. In a second process stage, naturally produced amine-containing polymers such as chitosan are to be developed for their ability to adsorb those reactive intermediates from the medium in which they are produced prior to their reaction with and inactivation of the tyrosinase catalyst. The objectives of this Phase I project are to: 1) assess the in-use stability of tyrosinase and devise means to enhance its stability by immobilization inside the adsorption polymer matrix, 2) determine the adsorption capacity of the polymer matrix for phenol oxidation products, and 3) determine whether conditions can be found to regenerate that polymer and still maintain tyrosinase activity and polymer integrity. It is anticipated that this work will identify conditions for multiple reuses of both the tyrosinase catalyst and bioadsorbants under practical operating conditions and thus pave the way for system development studies.
