A biotechnology laboratory is comparing two methods of immobilising a commercial lactase enzyme for industrial milk processing:
Which of the following statements correctly identifies a relative disadvantage or operational limitation of Method 1 compared to Method 2?
The active site of the enzyme is highly prone to conformational distortion due to chemical cross-linking with the support matrix.
The overall rate of reaction is reduced because of diffusion limitations, as substrate molecules must migrate through the physical gel lattice to reach the active sites.
The enzyme exhibits decreased thermal stability because it lacks the structural stabilization provided by direct chemical anchors.
The enzyme cannot be separated from the final product stream because the alginate matrix is highly soluble in aqueous reaction mixtures.
