Enzyme Technology
Research topics
- Discovery and engineering of biomass converting enzymes
- Regulation of lignocellulose degradation by fungi
- Aromatic and sugar metabolic enzymes of wood-degrading fungi
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Filamentous fungal sugar transporters
We apply and develop diverse methods including functional genomics, modern genome editing methodologies, recombinant protein production, various omics-based methods, machine learning pipelines and protein modelling.
Examples of ongoing research projects
METAFUNG – Intracellular metabolism of lignocellulose-derived sugars and aromatic compounds in lignin-degrading white rot fungi
Fungi are the most important organisms for plant biomass degradation in nature with a significant role in carbon and nutrient cycling. In addition, fungi and their enzymes and metabolites are widely used in different biotechnology sectors. METAFUNG project funded by the Research Council of Finland (former Academy of Finland) aims to capture sugar and aromatic metabolic pathways in wood-degrading basidiomycete fungi. The results of the study will shed light on the differences in fungal degradation abilities as well as provide novel options to be used for example in synthetic biology and microbial cell factories.
MYCOFACT: The dual role of sugar transporters in plant biomass conversion by fungi to improve microbial cell factories
Plant biomass conversion process by fungi includes four key factors: extracellular enzymatic degradation, uptake and intracellular catabolism of the resulting sugars, and its regulatory system. In contrast to extensive studies in the other three aspects, sugar transport has been barely touched, largely due to previous technical limitations.
The Novo Nordisk Foundation Ascending Investigator project MYCOFACT aims to not only fill this gap by classifying the influence of sugar transport on plant biomass conversion in filamentous fungi but also provide a novel approach to improve plant biomass using fungal cell factories through combined manipulation of sugar transport and regulatory systems.
Group members
Interested in working with us?
For further information contact: miia.makela@aalto.fi