P6.3 – Esterases for extracting suberin-derived fatty acids from tree bark

Forestry is a significant industry in Europe; however, this sector generates large quantities (~ 359 million m3 per annum [1]) of bark residues as by-products, which are often burned as waste. Structurally, one of the most abundant components of bark is suberin- a complex lipid-like compound with a high fatty-acid (FA) content (~ 90% w/w) […]

P6.1 – Fungal Degradation of Lignin-Carbohydrate Complexes 

Lignocellulose, the most abundant renewable biomass on Earth, presents a promising future for a large-scale biorefinery. Cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin together make up the majority of lignocellulose, with each providing different biopolymers suitable for added-value chemicals. [1] However, to effectively utilise lignocellulose, efficient fractionation to achieve high purity and yield is necessary. [2] This work […]

P6.2 – Exploring resin acid biodegradation

Bark biodegradation is a phenomenon that happens in nature, but virtually nothing is known about it, this is what happens to the material, which are the microorganisms involved and which enzymes they use. However, our group has recently characterized spruce bark biodegradation over time, both chemically and biologically [1]. During this experiment, sterile spruce bark […]

P6.4 – Can filamentous fungi decay wood in oxygen-depleted environments?

Wood-degrading fungi play an important role in the carbon cycle through the deconstruction of lignocellulosic polymers in deadwood (1). The enzymatic and abiotic mechanisms used by white-rot and brown-rot fungi to decay wood have been mostly investigated using cultures made at an ambient dioxygen (O2) concentration (2,3). While such concentration is relevant to the decay […]

P6.5 – Modifying the enzyme loading strategy to address the effect of LPMO instability and residual hemicellulose coating in enzymatic saccharification of mildly-pretreated Norway spruce    

Improving enzymatic saccharification on lignocellulosic biomass is crucial for reducing the cost of bioethanol [1]. Norway spruce (Picea abies) was pretreated with steam explosion without addition of acid catalyst (autocatalysis).   The pretreated spruce contained 50 %(w/w) glucan and lignin 39% %(w/w). The xylan and mannan content were reduced from 20% (w/w) to 5 %(w/w) […]

6.Keynote – Enzymes that upgrade renewable biomass to chemicals and new bio-based materials

Genomics initiatives have uncovered the critical importance of microbial enzymes to expand-ing the range of products that can be made from plant biomass (i.e., lignocellulose). So far, most applications of such enzymes focus on the deconstruction of lignocellulose to mono-saccharides and monolignols for subsequent fermentation to fuels and target chemicals. While necessary for capturing the […]

6.Invited – The importance of molecular architecture of wood for enzyme action

Polysaccharide structures determine their biophysical properties and enzymatic digestibility. Moreover, plant polysaccharide structures also influence their interactions and assembly in the cell wall, and consequently, properties such as strength of wood. The action of enzymes on biomass may be influenced not only by the structure of the polysaccharide but also the molecular architecture of the […]

6.1 Oxidation of phenolic lignin model dimers by new fungal polyphenol oxidases

A newly recognized class of single-domain polyphenol oxidases (PPOs) in ascomycetes, termed short PPOs, can sequentially hydroxylate and oxidize guaiacyl- and, in some cases, syringyl-type compounds, leading to oxidative demethoxylation of the latter [1]. Their activity on lignin-derived compounds is novel among PPOs and the catalyzed reaction differs from canonical lignin-active oxidoreductases like laccases and […]

6.4 Microbial Technologies for Bioremediation of Precipitation Sludge from Cardboard Production

Precipitation sludge (PS) generated from cardboard production contains high metals (Al, Fe, Ca, Si) and organic components (starch, cellulose, xylan, and lignin). With high moisture and a mixture of organic and inorganic components, PS cannot be recycled and combusted for energy recovery, resulting in zero value and landfill disposal. This creates both environmental and economic […]