Enzymes

What is an Enzyme?

Enzymes are catalysts and function by lowering the activation energy of a reaction resulting in an increase in reaction rate. Enzymes are present in all living organisms and are essential to maintaining life. These macromolecules, the vast majority being proteins, catalyze over 5000 different biochemical reactions in cells. For example, metabolic pathways are comprised of a series of enzymes that speed up chemical reactions by several orders of magnitude. These enzyme pathways continually accomplish very complex chemical reactions inside every living cell. The history of enzymes dates to the 18th and early 19th centuries. The concept was first used to explain digestion, conversion of starch to sugars, and fermentation of sugar to alcohol. The term “enzyme” was first coined by German physiologist Wilhelm Kuhne in 1877. Today, in addition to life science research, enzymes are used in the agricultural, food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. In the pharmaceutical industry, enzymes are used in drug manufacturing, and many drugs are enzyme inhibitors that act by binding to an enzyme and blocking its activity by interfering with substrate binding.

About R&D Systems Enzymes

R&D Systems offers over 800 active enzymes that can be used in a variety of biological reactions and in many different applications. Our enzymes have been selected for high activity and QC tested to ensure lot-to-lot consistency and stability. We offer many recombinant enzymes produced in controlled systems to ensure lot-to-lot consistency. With over 30 years of experience offering enzymes to the research community, we continually strive to produce enzymes with the highest purity and performance.

Commonly Searched Enzymes

Bioprocessing Enzymes

Enzymes for bioprocessing applications enable the rapid completion of a chemical process in a specific, controlled environment. Bioprocessing enzymes are essential tools for basic scientific research. In addition, they are used in the production of pharmaceuticals, foods, chemicals, and fuels.

Immunotherapy Enzymes

Recent successes with FDA approved immunotherapies have greatly increased interest in the field. Several immunotherapies are some of the most promising anticancer treatments. Recently, focus on metabolism in the tumor microenvironment has intensified due to its modulatory effect on immune recognition and role in elimination of tumor cells.

Metabolic Enzymes

Metabolic enzymes help carry out essential cellular functions necessary to maintain survival, growth, and homestatsis. These enzymes include kinases, dehydrogenases, lyases, oxygenases, reductases, phosphatases, carboxylases, and transferases and cover a wide range different enzymatic functions. Many common diseases have a metabolic component including diabetes, cancer, obesity, and hypertension.

Ubiquitin-related Enzymes

Our ubiquitin-related enzymes and other research products are manufactured by Boston Biochem, the leader in ubiquitin and ubiquitin-related products since 1997.

Enzyme Activity Kits

Easy to use enzyme kits designed with the end user in mind, compatible with high-throughput applications.

Protease Substrates

Convenient fluorogenic peptide substrates for sensitive detection of enzyme activity.

PROTACs & Targeted Protein Degradation

Fast growing Targeted Protein Degradation research field with great therapeutic promise. Bio-Techne offers a complete suite of products for targeted protein degradation research.

Tocris Small Molecules

Tocris Bioscience is the leading supplier of small molecules to the life science research community.

Custom Protein/Enzyme Request

Utilize our expertise in protein expression, cell culture, protein purification, conjugation, and formulation to create an optimized protein of your choice. Make your custom protein request.

Bulk Protein Request

In the market for large quantities? Buy in bulk and save. We have the capacity and expertise to scale up protein production to meet your needs. Request your bulk protein today.

Other Resources

• Lysosomal Enzymes
• DNA Repair
• Proteases
• Oxidative Stress Enzymes
• Deubiquitinating Enzymes - DUBs
• E3 Ligases
• Bioactive Lipids and Receptors

Featured Content

Benzonase® is a registered trademark of Merck KGaA Corp.