Metagenomics for new tools in synthetic biology to produce high value chemicals and products
Lead Research Organisation:
University College London
Department Name: Biochemical Engineering
Abstract
Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.
People |
ORCID iD |
| John Ward (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Baud D
(2015)
A rapid, sensitive colorimetric assay for the high-throughput screening of transaminases in liquid or solid-phase.
in Chemical communications (Cambridge, England)
Bawn M
(2018)
One-pot, two-step transaminase and transketolase synthesis of l-gluco-heptulose from l-arabinose.
in Enzyme and microbial technology
Bawn M
(2018)
Data on a thermostable enzymatic one-pot reaction for the production of a high-value compound from l-arabinose.
in Data in brief
Carter EM
(2021)
Direct Conversion of Hydrazones to Amines using Transaminases.
in ChemCatChem
Das S
(2015)
CATH FunFHMMer web server: protein functional annotations using functional family assignments.
in Nucleic acids research
Gruber P
(2018)
Enzymatic synthesis of chiral amino-alcohols by coupling transketolase and transaminase-catalyzed reactions in a cascading continuous-flow microreactor system.
in Biotechnology and bioengineering
Halim M
(2014)
Microscale methods to rapidly evaluate bioprocess options for increasing bioconversion yields: application to the ?-transaminase synthesis of chiral amines.
in Bioprocess and biosystems engineering
Jeffries J
(2016)
Metagenome Mining: A Sequence Directed Strategy for the Retrieval of Enzymes for Biocatalysis
in ChemistrySelect
Lee D
(2016)
Novel Computational Protocols for Functionally Classifying and Characterising Serine Beta-Lactamases.
in PLoS computational biology
Leipold L
(2019)
The identification and use of robust transaminases from a domestic drain metagenome.
in Green chemistry : an international journal and green chemistry resource : GC
| Description | Many novel enzymes have been found in a drain metagenome and the human tongue metagenome. The genes for many enzymes such as transaminases, transketolases, dehydrogenases and decarboxylases have been identified and cloned. Several have been tested in a variety of biocatalysis applications. |
| Exploitation Route | Others can access the enzymes after negotiation and signing an MTA with us and Almac Sciences. |
| Sectors | Agriculture, Food and Drink,Chemicals,Healthcare,Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology,Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology |
| URL | http://www.ucl.ac.uk/biochemeng/people/academic/ward-j |
| Description | Our findings and methods have been relayed to lay people in school visits and when we go to sample external environment e.g. at a crocodile farm. |
| Sector | Agriculture, Food and Drink,Chemicals,Healthcare,Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology,Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology |
| Impact Types | Societal |
| Description | H2020 956631 MSCA ITN 2020 CC-TOP |
| Amount | € 3,971,466 (EUR) |
| Funding ID | 956631 |
| Organisation | European Commission H2020 |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | Belgium |
| Start | 03/2021 |
| End | 02/2025 |
| Description | UKRI Creative Circular Plastic |
| Amount | £1,009,939 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | EP/S024883/1 |
| Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2019 |
| End | 06/2020 |
| Description | An invited talk entitled 'Green Chemistry: Enzymatic and Chemoenzymatic Strategies in Synthesis', at the 10th Choshu-London Symposium, Yamaguchi University, Japan, on 15th March 2018. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Part of the Tohoku Organic Chemistry Symposium, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan, on 12th March 2018 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | An invited talk entitled 'Green Chemistry: Enzymatic and Chemoenzymatic Strategies in Synthesis', at the Tohoku Organic Chemistry Symposium, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan, on 12th March 2018 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | A short lecture talk in Japan to enhance collaborations. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Conference presentation entitled 'Biocatalytic Routes to Amines' at the Catalysis Hub |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | To highlight to the catalysis community how amines, including alkaloids, can be formed using biocatalysts |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | https://www.rc-harwell.ac.uk/uk-catalysis-hub-summer-conference-2018 |
| Description | Departmental seminar at Oxford entitled 'The use of enzymes for C-C bond formation and amine synthesis' |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Departmental seminar to PDRAs, lecturers, postgraduates, undergraduates |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Departmental talk at the Technical University of Delft on 16th April 2018 entitled 'Biocatalytic routes to tetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloids' |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | To introduce how reaction cascades can be constructed to alkaloids |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Innovation & Sustainability Chemistry Consortium invited talk on Zoom |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Invited talk entitled 'Strategies for the Sustainable Synthesis of Chiral Compounds through Biocatalysis' at India-UK ISCC: Innovation & Sustainability Chemistry Consortium, 20th April 2021 (on zoom). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Invited lecture at Protein Engineering CONGRESS EU in Frankfurt |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Invited lecture entitled 'Synthesising Chiral Compounds by Leveraging Sustainable Biocatalysts' at Protein Engineering CONGRESS EU in Frankfurt on 12-13th November 2019 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Invited lecture at the Gordon Research Conference on Synthetic Biology held in Waterville Valley USA |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Invited lecture entitled 'Enzymatic approaches to natural and non-natural alkaloids' at the Gordon Research Conference on Synthetic Biology held in Waterville Valley USA, on 16th July 2019. There followed interesting discussion on building pathways. While at the conference I also presented the GRC 'Power Hour' which aims to discuss issues related to equality and diversity. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.grc.org/synthetic-biology-conference/2019/ |
| Description | Invited seminar at a University |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Invited seminar entitled 'Biocatalytic amine synthesis: from single step reactions to enzyme cascades' 17th May 2021 at Cardiff School of Chemistry (on zoom). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Invited talk at AmineBiocat4.0 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Talk entitled 'Biocatalytic amine synthesis: from single step reactions to enzyme cascades,', on 17th February 2020. After, I discussed opportunities to collaborate with european researchers in the field. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://aminebiocat4.com/2019/06/27/welcome-to-amine-biocatalysis-4-0/ |
| Description | Inward mission on industrial biotechnology: 12 Feb 2018 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Indian Industrial Biotech delegation at the UCL and will lead to some connections towards UK-India partnerships in future. Attendees · Dr. Annamma Anil Odaneth: Assistant Professor, Department of Biotechnology DBT- Institute of Chemical Technologies - Centre for Energy Biosciences, Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai, India: E: a.dbtceb@gmail.com · Dr Pramod Wangikar: Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, Wadhwani Research Center for Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay Mumbai , India: E: wangikar@iitb.ac.in · Dr Rajkumar Rajagopal: Founder & Managing Director, Cellzyme Biotech India Pvt Ltd, Coimbatore, India: E: rajkumar77@gmail.com · Dr Syed Shams Yazdani: Group Leader, Microbial Engineering, Group Coordinator, DBT-ICGEB Centre for Advanced Bio-Energy Research, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, ICGEB, New Delhi : E: ssyazdani@gmail.com |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Plenary Lecture at Biotrans |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Plenary talk entitled 'Biocatalytic Single-Step Reactions and Enzyme Cascades' |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://biotrans2019.com/ |
| Description | Plenary lecture Firbush |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Talk entiled 'Biocatalytic amine synthesis and C-C bond formation: from single step reactions to enzyme cascades' at the 18th RSC Chemical Biology and Bioorganic Chemistry Firbush Symposium on the 6th September 2019 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.rsc.org/events/detail/39563/the-18th-rsc-chemical-biology-and-bioorganic-group-cbbg-firb... |
| Description | Royal Society of Chemistry sponsored seminar at the Department of Biosciences, Exeter |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
| Results and Impact | An invited RSC sponsored seminar entitled 'Biocatalytic Strategies to Isoquinoline Alkaloids' at the Department of Biosciences, Exeter. Discussion with undergraduates after the talk about using biocatalysts to make pharmaceuticals |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Seminar at Leeds |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | A talk entitles 'Sustainable synthesis using enzymes: from discovery to applications' to undergraduates and postgraduates |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Talk at an international conference |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | A talk entitled 'Biocatalytic routes to tetraisoquinoline alkaloids using norcoclaurine synthases', at Biotrans2017, Budapest, Hungary |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | University visit (Warwick) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Seminat at Warwick University to undergraduates and postgraduates entitled 'The use of enzymes for C-C bond formation and amine synthesis' describing the results arising from this project |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |