Development of Novel Enzymes for Improvement in Home Care Products and Fragrances

The student will be involved in the discovery of novel enzymes for improved sebum stain removal at ambient temperatures and for in-situ generation of fragrance molecules in the wash. The Exeter group has a history of working with the development of new enzyme classes for different healthcare applications together with Unilever. The project will involve bioinformatic identification of genes of interest and their cloning and over-expression. It will include the biochemical and structural characterisation of selected enzymes and assessment of their stability in detergent formulation and effectiveness in wash studies. Microfluidics will also be used for rapid generation of improved variants of selected enzymes using rapid screening with fluorescent substrates.