Biotransformation of ferulic and p-cumaric acids in value-added products and study and application of involved enzymes

• Grant number: 21/01317-4
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: August 01, 2021
• End date: January 31, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology - Applied Microbiology
• Principal Investigator: Eleni Gomes
• Grantee: Eleni Gomes
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Ciências Exatas (IBILCE). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de São José do Rio Preto. São José do Rio Preto , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Gustavo Metzker ; Maitê Bernardo Correia dos Santos ; Mauricio Boscolo

Abstract

Sugarcane bagasse and straw, with almost 280 million tons produced in the 2019/2020 sazon, are viable lignocellulosic materials for a biotechnology utilization technology depending on availability. Despite already having an important economic use in the generation of energy in the plants themselves, there are still surpluses that allow alternative use. The research group of the Associated Laboratory of the Bioenergy Institute of Unesp has been working for 3 decades with lignocellulosic materials and microbial enzymes involved in its degradation. Sugars derived from cellulose and hemicellulose have been studied for various purposes such as the production of ethanol, organic acids, and as substrates for fermentation processes. In recent years, the projects have also focused on the use of lignin released in the processes of deconstruction of these materials. In this context, the present project deals with the use of bacterial fermentative processes to biotransform ferulic and p-cumáric acids into products of important biotechnology such as 4-vinyl guaiacol, 4-vinyl phenol, and vanillin. We intend to know the enzymes involved in the metabolic routes of these bacterial processes, study them, clone them and use them immobilized in a bioprocess (AU)