Mapping polysaccharide distribution in sugarcane cell wall using Carbohydrate Binding Modules labelled with extrinsic probes and secondary ion mass spectrometry imaging.

• Grant number: 23/17357-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Post-doctor
• Start date: April 01, 2024
• End date: September 30, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biochemistry - Chemistry of Macromolecules
• Principal Investigator: Marcos Silveira Buckeridge
• Grantee: Carolina Victal Garbelotti
• Supervisor: Nicholas Paul Lockyer
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of Manchester, England
• Associated to the scholarship: 23/03700-5 - Mapping of polysaccharide distribution on sugar cane ceell wall using Carbohydrate Binding Modules labeled with extrinsic probes, BP.PD

Abstract

Lignocellulose derived from Sugarcane plant cell walls is an important renewable resource for the Brazilian bioeconomy, especially for second generation ethanol production. Biomass degrading enzymes have attracted attention as biocatalysts for the conversion of lignocellulosic material to fermentable sugars, however, the chemical recalcitrance of the plant cell wall imposes a barrier to efficient enzyme cocktail design. Although cell wall composition has been well studied in homogenised material the problem of recalcitrance can only be solved through detailed information on sugarcane plant cell wall architecture. This project proposes an innovative approach to address this problem, using carbohydrate binding modules labelled with extrinsic probes to target polysaccharides of interest coupled with detection of these probes by secondary mass spectrometry imaging. This powerful combination will be used to map the distribution of cell wall polysaccharides in sugarcane culms. The strategy may also be readily adapted to monitor the effect of the action of specific carbohydrate-active enzymes on sugarcane cell walls in situ. This novel combination of techniques will provide valuable compositional information with high spatial resolution and will advance the knowledge of cell wall architecture and consequently contribute to the development of more efficient enzymatic cocktails for sugarcane cell wall saccharification.