New Enzymatically Produced Interpenetrating Starch-Cellulose Gels
Lead Research Organisation:
UNIVERSITY OF EXETER
Department Name: Engineering Computer Science and Maths
Abstract
The project aims to translate existing academic research to enable the production of interpenetrating network (IPN) gels of starch and nanocellulose fibres using side-by-side enzymatic and/or bacterial synthesis routes. These IPN gels will be produced with the end aim of use in the food and home care industries. The project will develop tandem enzymatic processes for the production of small fragments of starch, xyloglucan and cellulose, assembly of components into gels in the presence of water, and characterisation of the mechanical and physical properties of the gels. We will valorise waste, making new products, reducing costs and CO2 emissions for the companies we will support through this technology. Industrial input will guide development of the gels, targetting key industrial applications. No research has yet developed gels based on industrial biotechnology approaches to produce small molecules of starch combining them with cellulose fibrils.
Planned Impact
As described in proposal submitted to IUK
Organisations
- UNIVERSITY OF EXETER (Lead Research Organisation)
- Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (Co-funder)
- University of Manchester (Collaboration)
- KEELE UNIVERSITY (Collaboration)
- Unilever (United Kingdom) (Project Partner)
- Croda (United Kingdom) (Project Partner)
- AB Agri (Project Partner)
People |
ORCID iD |
| SJ Eichhorn (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
O'Neill EC
(2017)
Cellodextrin phosphorylase from Ruminiclostridium thermocellum: X-ray crystal structure and substrate specificity analysis.
in Carbohydrate research
Nigmatullin R
(2019)
Thermosensitive supramolecular and colloidal hydrogels via self-assembly modulated by hydrophobized cellulose nanocrystals
in Cellulose
Nigmatullin R
(2020)
Hydrophobized cellulose nanocrystals enhance xanthan and locust bean gum network properties in gels and emulsions.
in Carbohydrate polymers
Nigmatullin R
(2018)
Mechanically Robust Gels Formed from Hydrophobized Cellulose Nanocrystals.
in ACS applied materials & interfaces
Koev TT
(2020)
Structural heterogeneities in starch hydrogels.
in Carbohydrate polymers
Johns MA
(2020)
Employing photoluminescence to rapidly follow aggregation and dispersion of cellulose nanofibrils.
in The Analyst
Hossain KMZ
(2020)
Cationic surfactants as a non-covalent linker for oxidised cellulose nanofibrils and starch-based hydrogels.
in Carbohydrate polymers
Hossain K
(2020)
Microstructural, Thermal, Crystallization, and Water Absorption Properties of Films Prepared from Never-Dried and Freeze-Dried Cellulose Nanocrystals
in Macromolecular Materials and Engineering
Engel E
(2020)
Composite Hydrogel Spheroids Based on Cellulose Nanofibrils and Nanofibrous Chiral Coordination Polymer by Green Synthesis
in Advanced Sustainable Systems
De Andrade P
(2021)
Chemoenzymatic Synthesis of Fluorinated Cellodextrins Identifies a New Allomorph for Cellulose-Like Materials*.
in Chemistry (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany)
| Description | We have so-far shown that you can make cellulosic gels by enzymatic methods, and using cellulose nanofibrils and nanocrystals. The work is very preliminary and we are exploring the use of enzymes to reverse catalyse materials. The grant identified a number of potential applications and some of these are being pursued through other funding routes. |
| Exploitation Route | We have identified some potential products that could be commercially exploited. |
| Sectors | Agriculture Food and Drink Chemicals Healthcare Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology |
| Description | Understanding hydrophobic interactions in cellulose nanofibres |
| Amount | £24,040 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | EP/T005831/1 |
| Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 08/2019 |
| End | 08/2024 |
| Description | MD starch |
| Organisation | University of Manchester |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Experimental evaluation of glycan structure and enzyme sensitivityt |
| Collaborator Contribution | Microsecond molecular dynamics simulation to assess glycan-glycan interactions |
| Impact | Too early |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | Sugar nucleotides |
| Organisation | Keele University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Enzymatic synthsesis |
| Collaborator Contribution | Chemical synthesis - methods development and target synthesis. |
| Impact | New integrated chemical and enzymatic methods for sugar nucleotide synthesis |
| Start Year | 2020 |