Capturing oxidoreductases for carbohydrate oligomer activation

Microbial and plant genomes are vast reservoirs of enzymes for the biosynthesis of high-value products from plant biomass. Accordingly, the aim of the COCOA project is to mine genomics data for biocatalysts that sustainably generate bifunctional building blocks from underutilized hemicellulose fractions, permitting their re-assembly into novel biopolymers with valuable functionality. The specific focus is to screen putative carbohydrate oxidoreductases that could be utilized to activate oligomeric hemicelluloses, leading to building blocks ("bio-lego") for novel biopolymer synthesis and applications. The COCOA project will advance our fundamental knowledge of biocatalysis with wide-reaching biological and applied consequences. In particular, the COCOA project will accelerate the application of genomics research in the bioproducts sector, thereby supporting Finland’s emerging bioeconomy and commitment to smarter use of renewable bioresources.