Periodic Reporting for period 2 - OXIPRO (Transition towards environment-friendly consumer products by co-creation of an oxidoreductase foundry)
Berichtszeitraum: 2022-12-01 bis 2024-05-31
An increasing number of European consumers are concerned about the state of the environment, particularly carbon emissions. Eco-conscious consumers care about the footprint of commodities that make up our day-to-day life, like household detergents, cosmetics, food and clothes, including the producing of these goods, and their use. Enzymes, which are biodegradable molecular tools. Have shown the ability to reduce energy consumption and replace hazardous chemicals while enhancing the quality of end-products. The overall aim of OXIPRO is to contribute to greener products by harnessing the power of enzymes, specifically oxidoreductases, using the most efficient computing and cutting-edge biotechnology. OXIPRO targets four key sectors that are top priorities for eco-conscious consumers: detergents, textiles, cosmetics, and nutraceuticals.
The main achievements from work in eight distinct but interrelated work packages, are:
Working group termed ‘The Enzyme Cluster’ has been established across four FNR-16 sister projects (OXIPRO - 101000607, FuturEnzyme - 101000327, EnXylaScope -101000831, RadicalZ - 101000560), resulting in several joint meetings and workshops, capacity building initiatives, 8 collaborative newsletters and 2 joint scientific publications, 1 policy brief and one joint policy event
OXIPRO has actively engaged with >100 stakeholders across all four priority sectors. Engagement has related to several roundtables, world cafes, and bilateral meetings on recommendations for policy, strategies, but also on consumer needs and expectations
Innovation capacity is grown with patent seminars, innovation boot camps, and a plan for exploitation of project’s results has been detailed with over 15 key exploitable results (KERs). OXIPRO has a dedicated IPR task force team who follow up new IP generated, as well as patenting opportunities in OXIPRO.
The enzyme intelligence computational platform is publicly launched. Multiple computational modules have been developed for in silico mining and engineering of enzymes, and integrated in a user-friendly workflow manager.
New computational tool for bioprospecting based on machine learning and statistical models has been development, leading to 2 scientific publications of key results.
Computational approaches for extensive enzyme engineering have been used to provide a large list of >200 OXIPRO enzymes that will be explored for process compatible properties.
Two enzyme screening platforms have been established based on microfluidics and cell-free expression and verified based on functional expression of model oxidoreductases. The platforms have been used to discover several new oxidoreductases that have proved useful for OXIPRO’s innovation cases.
OXIPRO is using computational approaches for exploring the underlying molecular mechanism that determines nicotinamide cofactor specificity in model enzymes, and has successfully applied an enzyme-cascade strategy for cofactor recycling
All targeted enzymes in OXIPRO’s priority sectors and applications, have been cloned and expressed in either of four industry-compatible expression systems. For most, enzyme production is taking place by microbial fermentation at medium scale.
Strategies for enzyme-based processes are in place, including setting up of methodologies for characterization of enzymes and products, with the result that proof-of-concept studies are established for all innovation cases using OXIPRO enzymes. Proof-of-process experiments are ongoing, and for some application trials have started.
Date collection and literature search for sustainability evaluation of the OXIPRO case studies is ongoing.
Iterations of OXIPRO’s communication and dissemination strategy, including launch of media platforms and website, producing an explanatory video and materials for dissemination, and publication of key results in 8 open-access scientific journals, is progressing.
Working group termed ‘The Enzyme Cluster’ has been established across four FNR-16 sister projects (OXIPRO - 101000607, FuturEnzyme - 101000327, EnXylaScope -101000831, RadicalZ - 101000560), resulting in several joint meetings and workshops, capacity building initiatives, 8 collaborative newsletters and 2 joint scientific publications, 1 policy brief and one joint policy event
OXIPRO has actively engaged with >100 stakeholders across all four priority sectors. Engagement has related to several roundtables, world cafes, and bilateral meetings on recommendations for policy, strategies, but also on consumer needs and expectations
Innovation capacity is grown with patent seminars, innovation boot camps, and a plan for exploitation of project’s results has been detailed with over 15 key exploitable results (KERs). OXIPRO has a dedicated IPR task force team who follow up new IP generated, as well as patenting opportunities in OXIPRO.
The enzyme intelligence computational platform is publicly launched. Multiple computational modules have been developed for in silico mining and engineering of enzymes, and integrated in a user-friendly workflow manager.
New computational tool for bioprospecting based on machine learning and statistical models has been development, leading to 2 scientific publications of key results.
Computational approaches for extensive enzyme engineering have been used to provide a large list of >200 OXIPRO enzymes that will be explored for process compatible properties.
Two enzyme screening platforms have been established based on microfluidics and cell-free expression and verified based on functional expression of model oxidoreductases. The platforms have been used to discover several new oxidoreductases that have proved useful for OXIPRO’s innovation cases.
OXIPRO is using computational approaches for exploring the underlying molecular mechanism that determines nicotinamide cofactor specificity in model enzymes, and has successfully applied an enzyme-cascade strategy for cofactor recycling
All targeted enzymes in OXIPRO’s priority sectors and applications, have been cloned and expressed in either of four industry-compatible expression systems. For most, enzyme production is taking place by microbial fermentation at medium scale.
Strategies for enzyme-based processes are in place, including setting up of methodologies for characterization of enzymes and products, with the result that proof-of-concept studies are established for all innovation cases using OXIPRO enzymes. Proof-of-process experiments are ongoing, and for some application trials have started.
Date collection and literature search for sustainability evaluation of the OXIPRO case studies is ongoing.
Iterations of OXIPRO’s communication and dissemination strategy, including launch of media platforms and website, producing an explanatory video and materials for dissemination, and publication of key results in 8 open-access scientific journals, is progressing.
OXIPRO will provide new sustainable and efficient production processes for consumer goods that will benefit not only the environment, but also consumers, industry, researchers, and society in general. To achieve these impacts, OXIPRO undertakes an integrated approach was followed that involved the entire chain from enzyme discovery, development and production to scalable applications. In addition, OXIPRO is developing a collaborative interdisciplinary ecosystem and aligns to the Responsible Research and Innovation framework, which is fostering industrial implementation of OXIPRO’s solution. In the four case studies that are co-developed in OXIPRO, proofs of concept using new enzyme technologies have been successfully demonstrated, and proofs of process and applications are ongoing. The computational platform in OXIPRO has propelled the generating of new enzyme variants that are designed for increased process compatibility. Screening capacity has increased by the validation of two medium-to-high screening platforms. Altogether, this has speeded up the iterative process of discovery and validation of new candidates in the lab and assessing their compatibility to the process, ultimately providing promising new oxidoreductases to the innovation cases of OXIPRO. An efficient oxidoreductase production, facilitated by microbial fermentation technologies, is used to supply sufficient amounts of enzyme for applications tests and for gathering data for modeling a scalable production system for future industrial applications. By assessing the sustainability, and safety of products in parallel, OXIPRO is fit to make clever decisions to succeed with the implementation of enzymes in environment-friendly processes and products.