Objectif
THE IMPORTANCE OF XYLANASE FOR GENERATING FERMENTABLE XYLOSE IS REALISED WORLD-WIDE, BUT THERE WOULD APPEAR TO BE NO GREAT EFFORT BEING APPLIED TO TRY AND OPTIMISE THE ENZYMATIC CONVERSION OF THIS IMPORTANT HEMICELLULOSE COMPONENT. THE UTILISATION OF THE XYLAN COMPONENT FOR THE PRODUCTION OF ETHANOL WOULD BE AN IMPORTANT CREDIT FOR THE WELL-STUDIED CELLULOSE TO ETHANOL PROCESS. ENZYMATIC CONVERSION OF XYLAN TO XYLOSE IS POTENTIALLY LESS ENERGY CONSUMING AND LESS LIKELY TO CONTAMINATE THE ENVIRONMENT THAN ACID HYDROLYSIS.
AN IMPORTANT INITIAL STEP IN THE BIOLOGICAL UTILIZATION OF PENTOSE-CONTAINING HEMICELLULOSES IS THEIR CONVERSION TO MONOMETRIC SUGARS IN GOOD YIELD AND FREE FROM CONTAMINATING DEGRADATION PRODUCTS. THE AIM OF THE PROJECT IS TO USE ENZYMES, TO (A) OPTIMISE THE PRODUCTION OF PURE D-XYLOSE OR A MIXTURE OF FERMENTABLE MONOSACCHARIDES FROM THE XYLANS OF WOODS AND AGRICULTURAL WASTES AND; (B) OPTIMISE IN THIS WAY WOULD RESULT IN A VALUABLE BY-PRODUCT CREDIT IN THE ECONOMICS OF PROCESSING LIGNOCELLULOSIC MATERIALS.
THE STUDY WILL INVOLVE THE SCREENING OF FUNGI FOR THE PRODUCTION OF EXTRACELLULAR D-XYLANASE, BETA D-XYLOSIDASE, ALPHA-L-ARABINOFURANOSIDASE, BETA-D-GALACTOSIDASE AND ALPHA-D-GLUCOSIDURONASE (INCLUDING 4-0-METHYL ALPHA-D-GLUCOSIDURONASE); OPTIMIZATION OF THE PRODUCTION OF ENZYMES BY STRAIN IMPROVEMENT, ENZYME INDUCTION, AND BY CONTROL OF THE PARAMETERS AFFECTING ENZYME PRODUCTION IN A FERMENTER. A NOVEL FEATURE OF THE STRAIN IMPROVEMENT STUDIES WOULD BE IN THE PREPARATION AND FUSION OF PROTOPLASTS OF MUTANT STRAINS POSSESSING DESIRABLE PROPERTIES.
THE POSSIBILITY OF USING PARTIALLY PURIFIED ENZYMES TO PREFERENTIALLY REMOVE THE NON-XYLOSE SIDE UNITS PRIOR TO HYDROLYSIS OF THE XYLAN TO PURE XYLOSE BY D-XYLANASE AND BETA-D-XYLODINASE ACTION, WILL BE EXAMINED.
Champ scientifique
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesmicrobiologymycology
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistrybiomoleculescarbohydrates
- natural scienceschemical sciencesorganic chemistryalcohols
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistrybiomoleculesproteinsenzymes
- agricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesforestry