Emergence of nanomaterial as potential immobilization support for whole cell biocatalyst and cell toxicity effects

The traditional approach of fermentation by a free cell system has limitations of low productivity and product separation that need to be addressed for production enhancement and for cost effectiveness. One of the potential methods to solve the problems is cell immobilization. Microbial cells immobilization allows more efficient up-scaling by reducing the non-productive growth phase, improving the product yield and simplifying product separation. Furthermore, the emergence of nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes, graphene, and metal-based nanomaterials with excellent functional properties provides a novel support for enzyme immobilization. Nanomaterials have catalytic properties that can provide specific binding site with targeted cells. However, the toxicity of nanomaterial toward cells has hampered its application as it affects the biological system of the cells, which cannot be neglected in any way. This grey area in immobilization is an important concern that needs to be addressed and understood by researchers. This review discusses a view of cell immobilization with nanomaterial with special focus on its toxicity in the biological system. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.