BFACTORY Projects

Principal Investigator

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Team Members - CEB

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Fellowship Members - CEB

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Abstract

Composting units which handle lignocellulosic residues are suitable sources of novel and promising lignocellulose-degrading enzymes such as cellulases, xylanases and laccases. These enzymes have practical application in biorefineries where lignocellulose is converted into several added-value bioproducts. However, the effective conversion of lignocellulose by a sustainable process is currently incomplete and there is a need to find novel and robust catalysts to overcome this fact. A function-based metagenomic approach is herein proposed to identify novel lignocellulose-degrading enzymes. The DNA will be extracted from compost samples and fosmid metagenomic libraries will be constructed. A functional two-step screening will be performed to select the most promising catalytic actions under extreme pH and temperature conditions. The biocatalysts potential and their industrial applications will be determined after detailed enzyme characterization.