Glycoenzymes for Bioindustries

Lead Research Organisation: John Innes Centre
Department Name: Biological Chemistry

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.

Technical Summary

The project will translate existing academic work on the development of novel glycoenzymes to produce a suite of stable/robust enzymes at scale to address the current gaps in certain commercially available specificities. The lack of availability of such enzymes is a major barrier to those wishing to utilise them for diagnostics, synthesis or chemical modification processes often necessitating de novo synthesis of the enzyme targeting the required reaction before development/evaluation of the process can begin. Each academic partner will develop a subset of the glycoenzyme classes, providing the necessary analytical expertise to characterise and optimise the enzymes. Underpinning this work will be genome mining combined with enzyme evolution to discover/develop novel microbial sourced enzymes displaying desired activities. Industry input to the project will guide the development of the enzymes whilst ensuring that they are fit for purpose and brought to market to allow end user access.

Publications

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Bulmer GS (2021) Recent advances in enzymatic synthesis of ß-glucan and cellulose. in Carbohydrate research

 
Description New carbohydrate-active enzymes identified - phosphorylases for b-1,3-glucosylation and b-1,4-glucosylation, both of which will also transfer galactose, glucosamine and mannose regio- and stereo-specifically.
Exploitation Route Incorporate enzyme into scalable synthesis process progressing well.

New enzymatic routes to cellulose piolysaccharide materials effective, identfying a new polymorph of cellulose.
Sectors Agriculture, Food and Drink,Healthcare,Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology,Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology

 
Description New engagement with Unilever, who have broad-ranging interest in gaining insight into how to design and exploit polysaccharide materials.
First Year Of Impact 2019
Sector Agriculture, Food and Drink,Chemicals,Environment,Healthcare,Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology,Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology
Impact Types Societal,Economic

 
Title Enzyme to prepare beta-glucans 
Description Identification of key enzyme and establishment of SOP for the enzymatic synthesis of immune-active beta-glucans. 
Type Of Material Technology assay or reagent 
Year Produced 2019 
Provided To Others? Yes  
Impact Too early to tell 
 
Description CDs 
Organisation Newcastle University
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Evaluation of a glycosynthase for novel cyclodextrin production
Collaborator Contribution Provision of clone of wild type enzyme and active site mutant
Impact Too early to judge
Start Year 2017
 
Description Human milk oligosaccharides 
Organisation DSM
Department DSM Biotechnology Centre
Country Netherlands 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution Know-how and expertise for the chemical modification of carbohydrates.
Collaborator Contribution Provision of 100mg-1g quantities of 6 human milk oligosaccharides.
Impact Only just started
Start Year 2021
 
Description PPase 
Organisation University of York
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Work up of scalable synthesis of N-glycan analogues
Collaborator Contribution Clone of N-glycan phosphorylase
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