The Protein Factory 2.0
Welcome to a world of new solutions
Systems Biocatalysis: multi-enzymatic processes for the production
of high-value products
PI: Elena Rosini and Loredano Pollegioni
Participants:
Filippo Molinari, Davide Miani, Erika Zangelmi
Publications:
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Rosini et al., 2016. Cascade enzymatic cleavage of the β-O-4 linkage in a lignin model compound. Catal. Sci. Technol., 6:2195-2205. Doi:10.1039/C5CY01591J.
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Rosini et al., 2016. Demethylation of vanillic acid by recombinant LigM in a one-pot cofactor regeneration system. Catal. Sci. Technol., 6:7729-7737. Doi:10.1039/C6CY01402J.
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Vignali et al., 2021. Multi-enzymatic cascade reactions for the synthesis of cis,cis-muconic acid. Adv. Synth. Catal., 363. Doi: 10.1002/adsc.202100849.
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Vignali et al., 2022. The laccase-Lig multienzymatic multistep system in lignin valorization. Chem. Sus. Chem. doi: 10.1002/cssc.202201147.
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Molinari et al., 2023. Whole-cell bioconversion of renewable biomasses-related aromatics to cis,cis-muconic acid. ACS Sustainable Chem. Eng. https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.2c06534.
Fundings:
Not funded
Collaborations:
Gianfranco GILARDI, Università degli studi di Torino, Torino, IT
Enzymes are widely employed for organic synthesis because of their smaller ecological footprint as compared to chemical processes and of their higher sustainability. Systems Biocatalysis is a promising approach aimed to assemble individual enzymes in vitro to develop multi-enzymatic cascades in a single reactor. In search of a sustainable biobased economy, entirely new non-natural pathways can be built to convert very low-value substrates to high-value products.
The aim of this project is to use wheat bran-derived ferulic acid or lignin-derived vanillin as substrates to generate vanillin, cis,cis-muconic acid, adipic acid, and 2-pyrone-4,6-dicarboxylate (PDC), utilizing multi-enzymatic cascade processes. Lignin valorization would significantly enhance the economics of lignocellulose-based biorefineries. Moreover, there is great interest to convert wheat bran, an agriculture by-product obtained in large amounts in Italy, into added value products.
Notably, the bioconversion processes are carried out using both recombinant enzymes and whole cell systems.
