The present invention relates to an enzyme-catalyzed process for producing UDP-N-acetyl-α-D-glucosamine (UDP-GlcNAc) from low-cost substrates uridine monophosphate and N-acetyl-D glucosamine in a single reaction mixture with immobilized or preferably co-immobilized enzymes. Uridine may be used as starting material instead of uridine monophosphate as well. Further, said process may be adapted to produce GlcNAcylated molecules and biomolecules including saccharides, particularly human milk oligosaccharides (HMO), proteins, peptides, glycoproteins, particularly antibodies, or glycopeptides, and bioconjugates, particularly carbohydrate conjugate vaccines and antibody-drug conjugates.

A biomagnetic microsphere and a preparation method and a method for protein isolation and purification therefor. The outer surface of a magnetic microsphere body of the biomagnetic microsphere has at least one liner polymer with a branched chain; one end of the linear polymer with a branched chain is covalently coupled to the outer surface of the magnetic microsphere body, and other parts are free on the outer surface of the magnetic microsphere body; a backbone of the linear polymer is a polyolefin backbone, and no cross-linking agent is required in the backbone forming process of the linear polymer. The prepared biomagnetic microsphere can implement efficient elution of target proteins and effectively reduce the retention time and retention ratio of the target proteins, and it is easy to operate and widely used.

Methods of forming such microcapsules, in accordance with some embodiments, include: emulsifying at least one biocatalyst in a polymer precursor mixture; emulsifying the polymer precursor mixture in an aqueous carrier solution; crosslinking one or more polymer precursors of the polymer precursor mixture to form a plurality of microcapsules each independently comprising: a polymeric shell permeable to one or more target gases; and at least one biocatalyst disposed in an interior of the polymeric shell. In further embodiments, corresponding methods of using the inventive microcapsules for catalyzing one or more target gases using include: exposing a plurality of the biocatalytic microcapsules to the one or more target gases.

Methods of forming such microcapsules, in accordance with some embodiments, include: emulsifying at least one biocatalyst in a polymer precursor mixture; emulsifying the polymer precursor mixture in an aqueous carrier solution; crosslinking one or more polymer precursors of the polymer precursor mixture to form a plurality of microcapsules each independently comprising: a polymeric shell permeable to one or more target gases; and at least one biocatalyst disposed in an interior of the polymeric shell. In further embodiments, corresponding methods of using the inventive microcapsules for catalyzing one or more target gases using include: exposing a plurality of the biocatalytic microcapsules to the one or more target gases.

The present invention relates to an immobilized capping enzyme, preferably an immobilized Vaccinia virus capping enzyme. Furthermore, the present invention relates to an immobilized cap-specific nucleoside 2′-O-methyltransferase, preferably an immobilized Vaccinia virus cap-specific nucleoside 2′-O-methyltransferase. Moreover, the present invention relates to a method for immobilizing said enzymes and to a method of using said enzymes for the addition of a 5′-cap structure to RNAs. Moreover, the present invention relates to an enzyme reactor for performing the capping reaction using said immobilized enzymes and the subsequent separation of the 5′-capped RNA product. In addition, the present invention relates to a kit comprising the capping enzyme and/or the cap-specific nucleoside 2′-O-methyltransferase.

The present invention relates to an immobilized capping enzyme, preferably an immobilized Vaccinia virus capping enzyme. Furthermore, the present invention relates to an immobilized cap-specific nucleoside 2′-O-methyltransferase, preferably an immobilized Vaccinia virus cap-specific nucleoside 2′-O-methyltransferase. Moreover, the present invention relates to a method for immobilizing said enzymes and to a method of using said enzymes for the addition of a 5′-cap structure to RNAs. Moreover, the present invention relates to an enzyme reactor for performing the capping reaction using said immobilized enzymes and the subsequent separation of the 5′-capped RNA product. In addition, the present invention relates to a kit comprising the capping enzyme and/or the cap-specific nucleoside 2′-O-methyltransferase.

A substrate for producing cell aggregates provided with a plurality of spots which comprises a polymer containing a recurring unit derived from a monomer represented by the following formula (I):

##STR00001##

wherein U.sup.a1, U.sup.a2, R.sup.a1 and R.sup.a2 are as defined herein, on a substrate having an ability to inhibit adhesion of cells, wherein a ratio of a total area of the spots to a surface area of the substrate is 30% or more, a diameter of each spot is 50 to 5,000 μm, and a distance between the spots is 30 to 1,000 μm, a method for producing the same, and a method for producing cell aggregates using such a substrate and a method of improving cell utilization efficiency at the time of producing the cell aggregates.

A substrate for producing cell aggregates provided with a plurality of spots which comprises a polymer containing a recurring unit derived from a monomer represented by the following formula (I):

##STR00001##

wherein U.sup.a1, U.sup.a2, R.sup.a1 and R.sup.a2 are as defined herein, on a substrate having an ability to inhibit adhesion of cells, wherein a ratio of a total area of the spots to a surface area of the substrate is 30% or more, a diameter of each spot is 50 to 5,000 μm, and a distance between the spots is 30 to 1,000 μm, a method for producing the same, and a method for producing cell aggregates using such a substrate and a method of improving cell utilization efficiency at the time of producing the cell aggregates.

The invention provides a process for producing a gel network, which gel network comprises a plurality of joined gel objects, which process comprises: forming a plurality of gel objects in one or more microfluidic channels; dispensing the gel objects from the one or more microfluidic channels into a region for producing the network; and contacting each gel object with at least one other gel object in said region to join each gel object to at least one other gel object at a region of contact between the gel objects. The invention also provides a network of joined gel objects, comprising a plurality of gel objects, wherein each gel object is joined to an adjacent gel object at a region of contact between the gel objects. Also provided are various possible uses of the gel network.

The invention provides a process for producing a gel network, which gel network comprises a plurality of joined gel objects, which process comprises: forming a plurality of gel objects in one or more microfluidic channels; dispensing the gel objects from the one or more microfluidic channels into a region for producing the network; and contacting each gel object with at least one other gel object in said region to join each gel object to at least one other gel object at a region of contact between the gel objects. The invention also provides a network of joined gel objects, comprising a plurality of gel objects, wherein each gel object is joined to an adjacent gel object at a region of contact between the gel objects. Also provided are various possible uses of the gel network.