Enzymatic digestion of sugar cane biomass based on new endoxylanase (family GH 30)

• Grant number: 14/10664-6
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Visiting Researcher Grant - International
• Start date: October 13, 2014
• End date: October 22, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biochemistry - Enzymology
• Principal Investigator: Adriane Maria Ferreira Milagres
• Grantee: Adriane Maria Ferreira Milagres
• Visiting researcher: Peter Biely
• Visiting researcher institution: Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAS), Slovakia
• Host Institution: Escola de Engenharia de Lorena (EEL). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Lorena , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The main objective of the project is to provide integrated knowledge related to the action of hydrolytic enzymes on the sugar cane biomass. New xylanolytic enzymes will be tested for the hydrolysis of specific pretreated materials prepared under mild reaction conditions. It is advanced that mild pretreatment processes based on the selective delignification action of alkaline-sulfite will provide substrates susceptible for xylanase pre-digestion that could provide valuable hemicellulose olygosaccharides. A new endoxylanaseGH family 30 that recognize 4-O-methyl-D-glucuronicacid (MeGlcA) substituents as substrate specificity, will be tested in sugarcane bagasse pretreated by alkaline sulfite. Based on the accumulated knowledge, innovative biorefinery models will be proposed for the conversion of the sugar cane biomass into valuable products, such as hemicellulose olygosaccharides provided by the action of selected xylanases. (AU)