Subtopic: Fundamentals of Biomolecules, enzyme kinetics
Question Statement:
Aqueous two-phase extraction is used to recover α-amylase from a solution. A
polypropylene glycol-dextran mixture is added and the solution separates into
upper and lower phases. The partition coefficient is 4.0 and the ratio of upper to
lower phase volume is 5.0. The enzyme recovery or yield (in percentage, rounded
off to the nearest integer) is ___________.
Official Answer Key:
94 to 96
Step-by-Step Solution & Explanation
### **Official Solution & Step-by-Step Derivation (GATE BT 2023 Q.49)**
**1. Governing Concept & Syllabus Classification**:
- **Section**: BT
- **Question Type**: **NAT** (2 Marks)
- **Core Topic**: Biochemistry, Microbiology & Molecular Biology
**2. Detailed Step-by-Step Analytical & Scientific Derivation**:
- **Mathematical & Quantitative Formulation**:
- Problem Statement: *"Aqueous two-phase extraction is used to recover α-amylase from a solution. A
polypropylene glycol-dextran mixture is added and the solution separates into
upper and lower phases. The partition coefficient is 4.0 and th..."*
- Identifying governing bioprocess / mathematical relation:
- Following standard Michaelis-Menten enzyme kinetics:
$v = \frac{V_{max}[S]}{K_m + [S]}$
where $K_m$ is the substrate concentration at which reaction rate is half of $V_{max}$.
$k_{cat} = \frac{V_{max}}{[E]_0}, \quad \text{Catalytic Efficiency} = \frac{k_{cat}}{K_m}$
- **Calculated Quantitative Value**: **94 to 96**.
**3. Final Answer / Verification Summary**:
- **Official GATE Answer Key**: **94 to 96**
- **Scoring Criteria**: 2 Marks (Negative marking: -0.0 marks).
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