Enhancement of activity of cross-linked enzyme aggregates by a sugar-assisted precipitation strategy: Technical development and molecular mechanism

► Sugar was induced in the precipitation step to prepare sugar-assisted CLEAs of PGA with high activity. ► SEM, CLSM, FTIR and kinetic study were used to reveal the effect of sugar on the activity during the preparation of CLEAs. ► The “water-substitute” function was demonstrated as the reason that high activity was obtained when CLEAs were prepared by sugar-assisted strategy.