The discovery of β-galactosidase

Journal article (1989)

Authors

J.T. Pronk BT/Biotechnologie
Department
BT/Biotechnologie
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Published Date

1989

Language

English

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Department

BT/Biotechnologie

Abstract

The enzyme β-galactosidase was first mentioned in the literature by Beijerinck exactly a hundred years ago. The Department of Microbiology and Enzymology of the Delft University of Technology keeps the memory of Beijerinck, its first professor, alive by maintaining a ‘Beijerinck-room’ in the attic of the building. In addition to manuscripts and laboratory notebooks, this room contains some of his chemicals and biological preparations, and it was here that we recently found a 90-year old lactase preparation. Even after storage under suboptimal conditions, the preparation still exhibited measurable enzyme activities.