Final answer:
Manufacturers benefit from using enzymes in their production processes by increasing reaction rates, improving product yields through specificity, reducing energy and chemical use, which leads to cost savings, and enhancing sustainability by using biodegradable and renewable catalysts.
Step-by-step explanation:
Manufacturers achieve various benefits by using enzymes in their manufacturing processes. These biological catalysts can greatly increase reaction rates — up to 10¹⁷ times faster than reactions without enzyme catalysis — and are highly specific, often producing a single product. This specificity minimizes by-products and can simplify purification steps, thereby enhancing product yield and reducing waste.
Furthermore, enzymes operate under mild conditions, such as lower temperatures and neutral pH, which leads to energy savings and reduced need for harsh chemicals. This contributes to cost reduction in the manufacturing process. Enzymes also present environmental benefits by decreasing energy consumption and the reliance on non-renewable resources.
In various industries such as detergents, food processing, pharmaceuticals, and biofuels, enzymes are implemented to enhance product quality and efficiency. For example, proteases are used in detergents to break down protein-based stains and in meat tenderizers to hydrolyze tough meat proteins. Meanwhile, immobilized enzymes in reactors allow for repeated use, further improving economic viability and sustainability.