This group carries out basic research on enzyme catalysis and studies bioprocess development using enzymes as the biocatalysts. The concept is to build on the understanding of fundamental kinetic and chemical mechanisms of the enzymatic reaction and move toward real application by analyzing interactions between biochemical and physical factors that occur on the process scale. The research focuses on enzymes that can make glycosidic bonds between sugar units (glycobiotechnology) and catalyze oxidoreductive biotransformations. We aim at utilizing renewable carbohydrate-based resources such as lignocellulose, starch, sucrose, or lactose for the production of functional “sugars” to be used in medicine or for food and feed applications. We explore novel enzymes from nature, try to understand how enzymes of interest work by using a detailed structure and function analysis, and design improved processes by targeted modifications of enzyme properties (such as specificity or stability) and innovative reaction engineering.
Fields of activity
- Structure-function relationships of NAD(P)H-dependent dehydrogenases
- Oxidative biotransformation with non-heme metal-dependent enzymes
- Glyco-Biotechnology
- Improvement of enzyme stability under conditions of industrial processes
- Microreactor technology and reaction engineering of thermophilic glycosidases
- Biotechnology of renewable resourc