Expansion of sustainable biobased products and bioenergy requires the development of cost effective methods for converting cellulose into utilizable forms, such as glucose. Cocktails of cellulases are currently employed to complete the degradation process, which obtains glucose from cellulose. Cellulase cocktails are commonly limited by high pretreatment costs and limited glucose yields. The discovery of lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases, LMPOs, and the subsequent addition of LMPOs to cellulase cocktails demonstrates a potential for increased cellulose degradation. LPMOs are known to enhance the depolymerization of strong polysaccharide chains by the hydrolysis of B-1,4-glycosidic bonds. This poster highlights the successful cloning and expression of LMPO10B into <i>E. coli</i>, and discusses the development of a high throughput activity assay used to study the catalytic efficiency of LPMOs. Computational research illustrates the potential mutations among the cellulose binding residues of LPMOs that increase catalytic activity of the protein. The ultimate goal of this project is to strategically engineer LPMOs that generate an increase in degradation activity when breaking down cellulose.

Systematic integration and mutation of lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases in <i>E. coli</i>

251st National Meeting (2016)

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Systematic integration and mutation of lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases in E. coli