Tepelně stabilní enzym pro výrobu bioetanolu.

Španělská výzkumná organizace a společnost vyvinuly komerčně dostupné enzymy pro získání bioetanolou z vedlejší produktů rostlin. Tato technologie (enzym endoxylanase) je patentována a umožňuje degradovat xylan z buněčný stěn rostlinných buněk. Proces probíhá při 50 °C. Hledáme partnery se zájmem o další společný vývoj, nákup licence a rozšíření této technologie.

Description:
Sugar cane, corn starch, sugar beet and cereal grains are currently the main substrates used for the production of bioethanol. An alternative to these feed crops is the use of agricultural, industrial or forestry residues of high biomass content. For the degradation of these plant by-products, commercial enzymatic preparations containing mainly cellulase and hemicellulase activities are used. These enzymes degrade plant cell walls to yield monosaccharides that can then be used as a carbon source for the growth of an ethanol producing microorganism, usually a strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. A disadvantage of this process is the high cost of the commercial preparations, the components of which have low specific activities and are of poor technological suitability. Moreover in order to limit the thermal inactivation of the enzymes, the process temperature employed is low hence becoming a limiting factor for the enzymatic activity. The development of thermostable enzymes is thus likely to provide major benefits. To tackle these problems, the CSIC and Biopolis have used site-directed mutagenesis to develop an Aspergillus nidulans endoxylanase of improved thermostability. The patented enzyme is useful for the degradation of lignocellulosic material to yield sugars that serve as a carbon source for bioethanol producing yeasts.
Innovations and advantages of the offer
-The patented enzyme is more thermostable than the native counterpart: its half-life at 50?C is almost 10 hours, whereas the half-life of the native enzyme is 2 hours and 15 min.
-The efficiency of the process is improved as temperatures of 50?C can be reached.
-Less enzyme is required to obtain bioethanol.

(Ref: 12 ES 28G2 3QJX )

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