Project

Unlocking Synthetic Biology of Deoxy Sugars via Enzyme Engineering and Biocatalytic Cascades

Code

01D23520

Duration

01 November 2020 → 31 October 2021

Funding

Regional and community funding: Special Research Fund

Promotor

Tom Desmet

Fellow

Carlos Alvarez Quispe

Research disciplines

Medical and health sciences
- Carbohydrates
Engineering and technology
- Biocatalysis
- Biochemical engineering
- Biocatalysis and enzyme technology
- Bioprocessing, bioproduction and bioproducts

Keywords

Enzyme engineering biocatalysis dehydratase epimerase deoxysugar

Project description

Deoxysugars are important building blocks of several bioactive carbohydrates and derivatives (e.g. glycopeptide antibiotics). Their further exploration is, however, severely hampered by the complex and expensive procedures that are currently required for their production. In this project, new enzymes will be developed and integrated in artificial biosynthetic pathways that make use of sucrose as cheap and abundant starting material.