De novo design of chimeric enzymes
Objective
The CHImerASE project intends to develop a platform for the design of chimeric enzymes applied to new biotransformation steps. The team aims to deliver an efficient de novo designed enzyme to accomplish a high value industrial transformation that is currently only accessible via a laborious conventional chemical process. The consortium partners strongly believe that such innovative approach will represent a breakthrough in the biocatalysis field with a significant impact at industrial, economical and environmental levels.
The multilateral consortium was set up based on the complementary expertise of three academic and non-profit research institutions, a world's leading chemical company which has a top market position in speciality chemicals manufacture and delivery, as well as unique know-how in biotech technology transfer and industrial process scale-up, and a SME biotech with consulting and manufacturing experience of engineered enzymes, resulting in a transnational cooperation between Austria, Germany and Portugal.
Funding
Project partners
- Dr. Ricardo Jorge Flores Branco (coordinator) - Fac. Sci. and Tech., Universidade nova de Lisboa, Caparica – Portugal
- Prof. Vlada B. Urlacher - Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf – Germany
- Prof. Ana Cecília Afonso Roque - Fac. Sci. and Tech., Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Caparica – Portugal
- Dr. Christian Gruber - Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology GmbH, Graz – Austria
- Dr. Michael Breuer - BASF SE, Ludwigshafen – Germany
- Prof. Helmut Schwab - Molekulare Biotechnologie GmbH, Graz – Austria