TEMPEN - Temperature activation of enzymes for biomass degradation

Biomass such as residue from forestry or agriculture as well as municipal solid
waste has a large potential as feedstock for the production of both CO2-neutral
fuels and sustainable alternatives to petrochemical materials. Current and planned
industries within this field all utilize the so-called biochemical platform, which
relies on enzymatic deconstruction of the biomass. However, continued
improvements of the enzymatic process remain necessary for the competitiveness
of the industry, and among potential improvements, higher process temperatures
appear to have a particular potential.
In the current project we introduce a novel, knowledge-based principle for the
design of enzymes that effectively degrade biomass at high temperatures (over 50
C). The starting point is existing enzymes that have sufficient thermal stability, but
exhibit an unusual low activity, when the temperature is increased into the desired
range. This lack of temperature activation of known enzymes dictates high enzyme
dosage and long processing times, which is an economical burden for the industry.
To address this, the project will conduct ground-breaking scientific investigations of
the origins of the low activity, and use this knowledge in the design of enzyme
variants that perform better at elevated temperatures. The variants will be
expressed, purified and characterized, and results from this work will serve both to
elucidate and update scientific hypotheses and in a continuous progression towards
better industrial enzymes.