Characterisation and biochemical activity testing of CE1 and GH78 family enzymes; towards improved glycosyl hydrolases for the production of biofuel and biobased products

Austin, S

Abstract

Traditional chemical industries currently involved in the manufacturing and processing of high-value molecules used in the food, pharmaceutical and biofuel sector rely heavily on chemicals derived from fossil fuels such as crude oil. Fossil fuels represent a non-sustainable feedstock and although fossil fuels are used in producing high-value chemicals, their use contributes to greenhouse gas emissions consequently affecting global climate change. As a result, there is a drive to generate bio-based products and biofuel from sustainable alternatives to address the future needs of the industry as we advance towards a sustainable biobased economy. Biobased products and biofuels represent almost EUR 57 billion in annual revenue with sales expected to rise annually. The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and Lignocellulosic biorefinery network (LB Net) have put forward a list of prioritised chemicals such as levoglucosenone, 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid and itaconic acid, which can replace and improve upon petrochemicals and drive growth in the biobased economy.
Plant biomass has been described as an alternative feedstock to replace crude oil as a raw material. However, efficient, and sustainable degradation of the more resistant components of plant biomass represents a substantial technical challenge. Several studies have focused on the enzymatic hydrolysis of recalcitrant lignocellulosic biomass (cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin) into various sugars and aromatic monomers which will form the basic units of the manufacturing process. Recent advances in metagenomic and meta transcriptomic studies have resulted in newer tools to explore previously understudied environments such as extreme environments including marine water, sediments, compost, and manures to identify novel enzymes. More recently herbivore guts have been intensively studied, including the repertoire of biomass degrading bacterial enzymes found in the gut of the black slug, Arion ater where a functional metagenome analysis identified 3,383 genes known to be involved in the degradation of plant biomass. This study has screened the slug metagenomic library, selected and recombinantly expressed proteins with putative glycosyl hydrolase functionality and further tested the activity of these recombinant enzymes. Further to this, our study also looked at immobilisation techniques such as nanoparticles and cross-linked enzyme aggregates as a method of improving enzyme functionality.

Citation

Austin, S. Characterisation and biochemical activity testing of CE1 and GH78 family enzymes; towards improved glycosyl hydrolases for the production of biofuel and biobased products. (Thesis). University of Salford

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Apr 12, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 12, 2023
• Additional Information: Funders : University of Salford;Manrochem
• Award Date: Sep 11, 2022