Cellulosomes: a versatile enzymatic scaffold platform for bioconversion of lignocellulosic biomass into value-added fine chemicals

• Grant number: 18/23826-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Post-doctor
• Start date: April 27, 2019
• End date: April 26, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Genetics - Molecular Genetics and Genetics of Microorganisms
• Principal Investigator: Fábio Márcio Squina
• Grantee: Geizecler Tomazetto
• Supervisor: Neil Dixon
• Host Institution: Pró-Reitoria Acadêmica. Universidade de Sorocaba (UNISO). Sorocaba , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of Manchester, England
• Associated to the scholarship: 15/23279-6 - Metagenomic and metasecretomic analyses of an enrichment microbial consortium of anaerobic fungi to the degradation of sugarcane bagasse: prospection of cellulosomas and lignocellolytic enzymes, BP.PD

Abstract

Lignocellulosic biomass is a renewable and sustainable resource for production of fuels and value-added chemicals. In this context, we have devised an experimental approach to combine lignocellulosic biomass breakdown with direct conversion of the released monomers into fine chemicals. We hypothesize that by mimicking natural cellulosomes, we could design a mini-cellulosome, which will act on lignocellulosic biomass to release ferulic acid and sugar monomers. Following cellular uptake, an engineered biotransformation module will convert ferulic acid into coniferyl alcohol. This consolidated approach will feature enzyme production, enzymatic hydrolysis, and biotransformation processes in a single microorganism. The project is based on the combined experience and expertise of the two coordinating research groups in the areas of cellulosome analysis and the design of biosynthetic pathways for biotransformation. The results will be a proof of concept regarding the design of an extracellular enzymatic platform coupled with biosynthetic pathways to produce fine chemicals. The outcomes from this project will open opportunities to develop new and more robust biorefinery platforms that can be applied to consolidated bioprocessing. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

TOMAZETTO, GEIZECLER; PIMENTEL, AGNES C.; WIBBERG, DANIEL; DIXON, NEIL; SQUINA, FABIO M.. Multi-omic Directed Discovery of Cellulosomes, Polysaccharide Utilization Loci, and Lignocellulases from an Enriched Rumen Anaerobic Consortium. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, v. 86, n. 18, SEP 2020. (16/01926-2, 18/23826-5, 15/50590-4, 15/23279-6)