Immobilization, Stabilization, and Recyclability of Enzyme Bioconjugates for Biomass Valorization

An increasingly developed global populations necessitates an increased demand for inexpensive, renewable commercial building blocks and feedstocks in order to preserve human standards of living. Lignocellulosic biomass valorization has emerged as an attractive alternative source for feedstocks, with a more sustainable long-term future. Lignocellulosic biomasses can be hydrolyzed to produce cellulosic sugars, which serve as feedstocks for producing chemical building blocks, biopolymers, and biofuels. Nevertheless, state-of-the-art chemical, enzymatic, and microbial processing for biomass valorization suffers from high capital costs, inefficient conversion of feedstocks, and poor tolerance to substrate impurities. Enzymatic hydrogenation of fructose to mannitol is a promising demonstration of enzyme-based valorization, with high conversion yields, but its adaption to an industrial scale has been slow due to enzyme and reagents costs, and slow reaction times. BioHybrid Solutions is developing a new enzyme-based biocatalyst for mannitol production with improved performance and stability, providing cost-effective access to cheaper, renewable feedstocks. A drastic enhancement of the enzyme’s properties is achieved by utilizing polymer- based protein engineering technology wherein stability and performance can be improved via targeted modification of enzymes with rationally-designed synthetic polymers. During Phase I BioHybrid Solutions will show the feasibility of the application of this enzyme stabilization technology for lignocellulosic feedstock valorization. This Project will lay the foundation for stable enzyme-polymer conjugates for industrial reduction-oxidation reactions. Very few industries outside of pharmaceutical ingredient manufacturers routinely utilize enzymes for biocatalysis due to the high cost, time, and resources necessary to engineer enzymes capable of producing high-value chemicals. As more industries adopt enzymatic biocatalysis, a significant improvement in both worker safety and environmental impact is expected. Using mannitol production as an example, a switch from chemical hydrogenation to enzymatic hydrogenation results in a significantly safer and more environmentally friendly process. The fast-growing market for industrial enzyme biocatalysis is driving demand for stable, efficient enzymes capable of producing a wide variety of products. Expansion into stable redox enzymes significantly broadens the fields into which industrial enzyme biocatalysis can grow, with BioHybrid Solutions at the forefront.