12/27/2023 0 Comments Carl john franzMicrobiology and enzymology of lignocellulose bioconversion.Understanding how such physiological features function and how they can be employed in bacterial biocatalysts is of great value to the development of engineered biocatalyst. Examples of such characteristics include robust protein secretion and the potential of many Gram positive bacteria to transport complex oligosaccharides. Initial efforts will focus on defining and characterizing Gram positive bacterial characteristics that show promise in bioconversion processes. Our research applies bacteriology, biochemistry, bioinformatic resources as well as structural biology to identify proteins which may function optimally to degrade minimally processed lignocellulosic biomass.A second goal of my laboratory is the development of second generation bacterial biocatalysts. The pretreatment process may be augmented with enzymes that target the specific linkages connecting lignin and xylan thereby facilitating the secondary cellulolytic enzyme processing and potentially limiting the initial physical pretreatment costs. This polymer is important in that it associates through covalent attachment to interconnect the lignified cell wall with the rigid cellulose fibrils. Our guiding hypothesis is that through the development of better, more efficient enzyme systems, it may be possible to limit the chemical and physical input required during the initial disruption stage resulting in a reduced cost for microbial bioconversions of this important renewable resource.In this research our primary concern is the second most abundant but chemically most complex biomass polymer, the β-1,4 linked xylose polysaccharide 4-O-methyl glucuronoarabinoxylan (xylan). Research in my laboratory focuses on the interface between the physical disruption and the subsequent enzyme hydrolysis stages necessary to prepare woody biomass for microbial conversion to biofuels and value-added products.
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