Deciphering the genetic mechanisms of enzyme production: promising results for producing 2nd generation biofuels
An international team of researchers, whose IFP has just published in PNAS ** - a benchmark journal in biology - the first results of work carried out on mutations of strains of the filamentous fungus Trichoderma reesei which secrete large quantities of enzymes (cellulases ) used to degrade biomass.
Improving the productivity of microbial strains secreting enzymes that transform cellulose into sugars is one of the major challenges in the development of the 2nd generation ethanol sector (lignocellulosic biomass).
Enzymatic hydrolysis requires, in fact, a large quantity of enzymes - 10 to 100 times more than 1st generation chains - whose production at present represents high costs. The fungus Trichoderma reesei is the main producer of cellulases used in the industry. It is grown in closed reactors and the enzymes are recovered at the end of the process.
Using high-throughput DNA sequencing technologies, the researchers analyzed the complete genome of several strains of Trichoderma reesei from the same selection line. More than 200 mutations in more than 40 genes have been observed. The mapping of mutations of each strain and their comparison made it possible to identify genes directly involved in the increase in the production of cellulases. This first work will facilitate the understanding of the biological mechanisms leading to improving the production of enzymes. Researchers will be able to optimize these mechanisms by genetic modification.
These results are the fruit of a fruitful international collaboration between different research laboratories *** who have key and complementary skills in the field of biotechnologies. IFP has, in particular, coordinated most of the work and provided its knowledge in the genetics of microorganisms, in close partnership with the ENS.
This work opens up promising prospects for the development of Trichoderma reesei strains capable of producing enzymes more efficiently than today, thus improving the profitability of the 2nd generation ethanol sector.
*** IFP, École Normale Supérieure de Paris (ENS), two laboratories (the Joint Genome Institute and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory) of the United States Department of Energy (DOE), the Technological University of Vienna, the biotechnology company Danish Novozymes
** Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Source: http://www.ifp.fr/actualites/communique ... generation
http://www.jgi.doe.gov/
http://www.pnl.gov/
What should we remember in substance? That 2nd generation biofuels will almost necessarily go through the use of GMO enzymes ...
More info here: https://www.econologie.com/forums/6ieme-rb-b ... t8431.html
ps: funny IFP has changed its name, it's more like the French Petroleum Institute it's Innovation Energy Environment!
