PhD forsvar af Sara Talebi Deylamani
Sara Talebi Deylamani forsvarer sin tese: Towards Rational Design of Enzyme@Metal–Organic Framework
Principal supervisor: Professor, Joerg R. Jinschek, DTU Nanolab
Co-supervisor: Professor Kasper S. Pedersen, DTU Chemistry
Assessment committee: Associate Professor Andreas Kaiser, DTU Energy Professor Stefan Wuttke, University of Krakow Professor Ross Forgan, University of Glasgow
Moderator at defence: Professor Thomas Bligaard, DTU Energy
This PhD project focuses on a family of MOFs known as zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs), which can grow around enzymes and act as protective hosts. The research addresses two key challenges: understanding how enzymes interact with these materials at the nanoscale and developing methods to control how the materials form under mild, enzyme-friendly conditions. Using advanced electron microscopy and complementary characterization techniques, this work reveals how enzymes are incorporated within individual ZIF crystals and how they influence the crystal structure. In addition, the project demonstrates a simple way to control the formation of different ZIF structures in water, allowing enzyme loading and catalytic performance to be tuned.
Overall, this research provides new insight into the design of enzyme–MOF hybrid materials and contributes to the development of more stable, reusable biocatalysts for greener and more sustainable chemical technologies.
Co-supervisor: Professor Kasper S. Pedersen, DTU Chemistry
Assessment committee: Associate Professor Andreas Kaiser, DTU Energy Professor Stefan Wuttke, University of Krakow Professor Ross Forgan, University of Glasgow
Moderator at defence: Professor Thomas Bligaard, DTU Energy
Abstract
Enzymes are nature's catalysts, accelerating chemical reactions with remarkable efficiency. They have great potential for making industrial processes cleaner and more sustainable, but they are also fragile. High temperature, changes in acidity, and harsh chemicals can reduce their activity, and recovering them for reuse is often difficult. One promising solution is to protect enzymes inside porous materials called metal–organic frameworks (MOFs).This PhD project focuses on a family of MOFs known as zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs), which can grow around enzymes and act as protective hosts. The research addresses two key challenges: understanding how enzymes interact with these materials at the nanoscale and developing methods to control how the materials form under mild, enzyme-friendly conditions. Using advanced electron microscopy and complementary characterization techniques, this work reveals how enzymes are incorporated within individual ZIF crystals and how they influence the crystal structure. In addition, the project demonstrates a simple way to control the formation of different ZIF structures in water, allowing enzyme loading and catalytic performance to be tuned.
Overall, this research provides new insight into the design of enzyme–MOF hybrid materials and contributes to the development of more stable, reusable biocatalysts for greener and more sustainable chemical technologies.