Towards complete cleavage of lignin-carbohydrate bonds
Research Project, 2022
– 2024
In order to better utilize renewable plant biomass for materials and energy instead of fossil resources such as oil and coal, processes to use the biomass must be improved. The biomass is a complex material composed of many different types of intertwined polymers. Some of the connections between the polymers are made from strong chemical bonds and in order to make the biomass easier to deconstruct, these need to be broken. Enzymes are highly specific catalysts that are responsible for the deconstruction of biomass in nature, and enzymes are the main way to break down biomass industrially today. However, the enzymes used to detach plant biomass polymers from each other are poorly understood, though such enzymes could greatly improve biomass deconstruction. In this project, the aim is to find and study new types of enzymes to better cleave the bonds that interlock biomass polymers, and to use these to improve biomass utilization.
Participants
Johan Larsbrink (contact)
Chalmers, Life Sciences, Industrial Biotechnology
Tom Coleman
Chalmers, Life Sciences, Industrial Biotechnology
Merima Hasani
Chalmers, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chemical Technology
Andrea Seveso
Chalmers, Life Sciences, Industrial Biotechnology
Collaborations
Royal Institute of Technology (KTH)
Stockholm, Sweden
University of Copenhagen
Köbenhavn, Denmark
Funding
Novo Nordisk Foundation
Project ID: NNF21OC0071611
Funding Chalmers participation during 2022–2024
Related Areas of Advance and Infrastructure
Energy
Areas of Advance
Basic sciences
Roots
C3SE (Chalmers Centre for Computational Science and Engineering)
Infrastructure
Life Science Engineering (2010-2018)
Areas of Advance
Materials Science
Areas of Advance