Patent ID: 7700335

Claim:
A process for producing enzyme particles comprising: (a) providing an emulsion of droplets of a first liquid phase dispersed in a second liquid phase, with the one liquid phase being a hydrophilic phase and the other liquid phase being a hydrophobic phase which is immiscible with the hydrophilic phase, and with enzyme molecules being located at or within interfacial boundaries of the droplets and the second liquid phase; (b) adding a temporary protectant to the hydrophilic phase and/or to the hydrophobic phase and/or to the emulsion, wherein the temporary protectant occupies active sites of the enzyme, thereby inhibiting occupation of the active sites by a cross-linking agent or reaction of a cross-linking agent with the active sites; (c) adding a cross-linking agent to the hydrophilic phase and/or to the hydrophobic phase and/or to the emulsion; (d) cross-linking, by means of the cross-linking agent, the enzyme molecules of the respective droplets; and (e) recovering the individual enzyme particles from the second liquid phase.