Targeted analysis of microbial lignocellulolytic secretomes: a new approach to enzyme discovery

• Grant number: 12/07504-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate (Direct)
• Start date: July 01, 2012
• End date: December 31, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biochemistry
• Principal Investigator: Igor Polikarpov
• Grantee: Bruno Luan Soares Paula de Mello
• Supervisor: Neil Charles Bruce
• Host Institution: Instituto de Física de São Carlos (IFSC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of York, England
• Associated to the scholarship: 11/21608-1 - Identification and characterization of new enzymes with potential for lignocellulosic biomass conversion, BP.DD

Abstract

The raising of the use of fuels, the oil's finite supply and concerns about global warming make it clear that the search for new fuels is important. One alternative for this energetic problem is the use of the second generation ethanol, which uses enzymatic hydrolysis - one of the most complexes and expensive steps nowadays. While the saccharification of lignocellulose remains a problem for industry, it is carried out effectively in the natural environment by microbial communities. Because less than 1% of the microorganisms can grow in pure cultures, the cellulose hydrolysis have been studied in a few well characterized organisms. Thus, the discovery and study of new enzymes and proteins associated with the lignocellulose degradation is necessary for the development of an efficient and cost-effective process. This can be achieved by the use of an integrated proteomics and metatranscriptomics approach. However, to make use of those approaches it is important to estabilish scientific colaboration with research institutes that already have the know-how of those techniques. (AU)