Carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) are an extensive group of enzymes involved in the synthesis and break down of carbohydrates. CarbExplore has a library containing unique enzymes, which can be used for a wide range of applications for the food, nutrition and cosmetics industry.
Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are a known source producing an abundant variety of α-glucan oligo- and polysaccharides. The GH70 family is a widespread group of enzymes that catalyze the formation of these α-glucans. Hereby, we divide the glucansucrase enzymes (GtfA and Gtf180) synthesizing glucan polysaccharides from sucrose, and glucanotransferase enzymes (GtfB, GtfC, and GtfD) using maltodextrins and starch as substrate. Besides that, CarbExplore focuses on the screening of β-galactosidase enzymes, which are commonly used for the production of galactooligosaccharides (GOS). The GOS products of these species are widely used for infant nutrition. Another interesting group of enzymes are the fructosyltransferases, which produce fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS), and fructan polymers. FOS, in general, are interesting for their potential prebiotic value, and inulins in specific can be used for medical diagnostics, such as inulin clearance of the kidneys. The products produced by all these enzymes have various properties, depending on their monosaccharide composition, linkage-type, and the degree of branching.
During the last decade, with the increase of genome sequencing, more and more enzymes have been identified and characterized. CarbExplore targets the enzymes with potential qualities and uses mutational engineering techniques to offer a high diversity of products. We make use of the newest modeling technolgies and AI tools such as AlphaFold.
Workflow:
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Detailed project information about the product of interest.
We deliver:
A project plan with detailed descriptions.
