https://doi.org/10.17113/ftb.56.04.18.5673
Synergy of Microtechnology and Biotechnology: Microreactors as an Effective Tool for Biotransformation Processes§
Anita Šalić
and Bruno Zelić*
University of Zagreb, Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Marulićev trg 19, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Article history:
Received: 19 January 2018
Accepted: 4 September 2018
Key words:
microreactor, biotechnology, enzyme, immobilization, biocatalysis
Summary:
Despite the fact that microreactors have been present for more than 40 years now and that their potential has been extensively exploited in chemical synthesis, analytics and screening, to date very few biocatalytic processes have been explored in microreactors. It is claimed that enzymatic microreactor technology is exactly in the same place where chemical microreactors were 15 years ago. However, general opinion is that the efforts devoted to the research of micro-enzymatic reactors will inaugurate a new breakthrough in bio-based processing. The aim of this review is to explore the synergy between microtechnology, mainly microreactors, and biotechnology, and to assess its potential, opportunities, challenges and future application in biotechnology.
*Corresponding author: 
+38514597104, +38514597281
+38514597133
bzelic@fkit.hr
§The paper was presented at European Biotechnology Congress, 25-27 May 2017, Dubrovnik, Croatia
