Description
Industrial Biotechnology is key to maintain Europe's leading position in the global bio-based market and help the transition to a green and circular economy. Fostering investment in innovative technologies like those to be demonstrated in ROBUSTOO, and supporting biotech SMEs, will contribute to this endeavour.
In ROBUSTOO, we aim to capitalise the results from previous EU projects that showed the applicability of three oxidative enzymes -unspecific peroxygenases (UPOs), laccases and hydroxymethylfurfural oxidases (HMFOs)- to provide novel and greener production of bio-based chemicals and materials. To exploit their full industrial potential, we will undertake the large-scale production of the recombinant enzymes and the development of new robust variants adapted to the demanding operating conditions.
To this end, we will benefit from the most advanced technologies and know-how of the ROBUSTOO consortium to conduct computational enzyme bioprospecting and design (Barcelona Supercomputing Center), develop microbial strains for industrial enzyme production and engineer improved enzymes, followed by optimisation and pilot demonstration of target enzymatic transformations by biotech SMEs (Metgen, Gecco, bisy, and InnoSyn), and research/technological centres (CIB-CSIC, Autonomous University of Barcelona, IRNAS-CSIC, and FCBA), concluding with environmental & techno-economical assessment and exploitation of the developed technologies (Consorzio Italbiotec).
The new biotransformations to be demonstrated in the project represent breakthrough biotechnological solutions for: (i) the conversion of industrial lignins into bio-based material components using laccases, increasing the commercial value of existing lignin products; (ii) the production of intermediate and fine chemicals, difficult to achieve by chemical synthesis, through regio/stereoselective oxygenations of lipophilic substrates with UPOs; and (iii) the synthesis of plastic polymer building-blocks using HMFOs, as a sustainable alternative to chemical catalytic processes.
Funded by the European Union, Grant Agreement nº 101135119
Members