What are enzymes? Harness the power of nature

High impact solutions

Enzymes are tiny, natural powerhouses that speed up reactions. There are thousands of different enzymes, each with a highly specific and valuable function. In our stomachs, for example, enzymes break down food into tiny particles to be converted into energy.

By using enzymes, many industries can optimize production. For example, enzymes can reduce sugar in bread and make it last longer. Enzymes can also reduce lactose in dairy products and, when added to laundry detergent, help remove stains and enable low-temperature washing.

Whether it’s opening new markets with lactose- free products, maintaining your market position by reducing sugar, or helping your conscious consumers live a more sustainable life by offering detergent that still effectively washes at low temperatures, we have the solution for you.

Improving every life, every day

Like billions of people around the world, the Peterson family benefit from Novozymes’ biological solutions every day. Peek into their life and see how our technology improves everything from their coffee and cereal, to the clothes they wear to the breakfast table. See how enzymes really help to build better lives.

Enzymes in your life

Fashionista? Foodie? Enzymes have you covered

Enzymes help you cut costs, optimize production and create better products. They're good for the environment too. Enzymes can replace chemicals and minimize energy consumption.

Milder stonewashing

As the name suggests, the traditional way of producing stonewashed jeans is to wash them with stones. This water-intensive treatment is harsh on the jeans and the environment. It also weakens their fabric, giving them a flossy appearance.

Using enzymes instead of stones eliminates the need for multiple rinses and saves water. The results? Undamaged fabric, long-lasting quality, and that same stonewashed look.

Less water, better jeans

Bakery booster

When a loaf of bread's starch loses moisture, the bread becomes hard. But, adding enzymes to the flour keeps that softness by altering the structure of the starch.

Enzymes can also make dough less sticky.

Other specialized baking enzymes help retain naturally-occurring gasses in gluten. That's how bakers can make light, fluffy bread.

Bake better, longer-lasting bread

Leather softener

Take a step closer towards more sustainable and quality leather with enzymes. Rather than using chemicals on stiff and unmanageable, untreated leather, you can use enzymes to naturally dissolve and wash away the tough proteins.

Not only is this more sustainable, but it also cuts down on rinsing and cleaning in the leather production process.

Enzymes also remove hair and fat from animal hides reducing sulfide use by 40% and cutting water use.

Quality, sustainable leather

Textile polisher

Biopolishing enzyme treatments removes small hairs and fuzz from cotton fabric, leaving it smoother and helping it keep clearer color for longer.

By using enzymes, clothes naturally and sustainably retain newness even after multiple washes.

Newer looking cotton for longer

More juice

Apples turn brown and soften after you cut them as enzymes break down their fibers. It's not too appetizing if you're eating apples, but it's an advantage when juicing them. By adding naturally occurring enzymes to your processes, you’ll see the fruit is easier to press, giving you higher yields and creating completely clear juice.

And it's not just apples – the enzymes also work on grapes to get all their juice out without compromising the quality of that fine wine.

Get juicier results

Arctic enzymes

In this video follow two of our scientists as they tackle the Arctic terrain to hunt for enzymes that could reduce the environmental impact of industry and decrease our dependence on fossil fuels.

Russell Beard from Al Jazeera joins them as they gather samples from the wild, which are then optimized with protein engineering in the lab.

Getting it right

From search to final product

Finding the right enzyme

One soil sample can contain thousands of different microorganisms, and each microorganism can produce hundreds or thousands of different enzymes. Having the world's biggest toolbox of screening technologies makes our search for the right enzyme a little easier.

Hands with rubber gloves holding test tubes

Finding the right gene

Next, we need to locate the gene that tells the microorganism to produce this enzyme. Once this gene has been isolated, our researchers can improve the enzyme in many ways.

Transferring the right gene

By transferring the gene to one of our production microorganisms, we get a microorganism that produces large quantities of the right enzyme and grows very quickly.

Scientist in the Novozymes laundry detergent research center

Finding the right balance

In our three-story fermentation tanks, the microorganism multiplies by millions - but only if we achieve the right balance of nutrients, temperature, pH and airflow. Fortunately, we have more than 70 years of experience to help us.

Doing the right thing

After fermentation we separate out the enzymes, leaving a mix of unused nutrients, water and microorganisms. We treat this to remove all living and intact microorganisms. This makes it ready for use as top-grade farm fertilizer.

Making it right for our customers

A product is only right when it's used in the right way. That's where our Technical Service team comes in. Their expert assistance helps our customers get the very best from our enzymes.

Men in hard hats and orange vests walking in a production facility