Objective
Since the initial development of the glycosynthase methodology, progress has been mainly focused on beta-glycosidic bond formation with neutral hexosyl units to produce simple oligo- and polysaccharides. We propose to give a step further by i) enriching the range of catalysts available towards specific psychrophilic activities, and ii) extending the methodology towards in vitro synthesis of anionic polysaccharides for the development of novel biomaterials.
Glycosynthases are mutant glycosidases with a non-nucleophilic amino acid replacing the catalytic nucleophile. They are hydrolytically inactive, but, when presented with an activated donor sugar, condense the donor and an acceptor sugar in high yield. The usual Â-glycosyl fluoride donor is labile at high temperature and is readily hydrolysed above 50ºC. Therefore, the temperature used for the glycosynthase reaction is a compromise between donor stability and enzyme activity that renders conditions far from optimal. Thus, being able to perform the glycosynthase reaction at low temperature will clearly enhance product yields. Screening for cold glycosidase activities in psychrophilic bacteria and cloning of the corresponding genes will provide the necessary enzymatic toolbox.
Another challenge is to extend the possibilities for the synthesis of original oligosaccharides. In the frame of this project, we plan to address the synthesis of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), current targets in biomedical applications. GAGs are a large family of anionic polysaccharides with disaccharide repeating units of uronic acid and hexosamine. Engineering and directed evolution will be performed on existing beta-glucanases or beta-glucosidases to accept charged donors. The proposed project will combine an existing repertoire of characterized glycosynthases and expertise in directed evolution and molecular biology with the overall goal of extending the knowledge on rational engineering of glycosynthases and oligosaccharide synthesis.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology bacteriology
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules carbohydrates
- natural sciences chemical sciences organic chemistry amines
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins enzymes
- natural sciences biological sciences molecular biology
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
FP6-2002-MOBILITY-5
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Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Coordinator
Spain
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.