Research Area

Fundamental and applied carbohydrate enzymology

The focus of our Carbohydrate Enzymology Research Group is to understand the way in which particular enzymes act to alter the structure of polysaccharides found in biomass (especially plant cell walls and wood fibers), and to harness these enzymes for applications. We are primarily interested in the carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) which synthesize, re-arrange, and degrade glycosidic bonds. Studies of carbohydrate oxidases involved in polysaccharide functionalisation comprise another primary research area.

In the biological context, we aim to elucidate the molecular details of polysaccharide synthesis and deconstruction in:

• biogenesis of plant cell walls
• recycling of biomass in the global carbon cycle
• breakdown of dietary fibre (non-starch polysaccharides) by the human gut microbiota

The discovery and characterisation of new enzymes involved in these processes provides a foundation for the development of enzyme technology for the improved use of renewable biomass resources in the forest products, agricultural, and textile industries.

Research tools and methods

We employ a wide variety of techniques to learn more about enzymes relevant to biomass utilization and fiber modification:

Organic chemistry and chemical biology

Synthesis of modified substrates as probes of enzyme mechanism or to introduce specific chemical functionality into carbohydrate polymers.
Representative publications: Pub. 1| Pub. 2| Pub. 3| Pub. 4

Molecular phylogeny, molecular biology, and heterologous protein expression

Identification, cloning, and recombinant expression of genes encoding enzyme targets with unique biological/biochemical function and/or application potential.
Representative publications: Pub. 1| Pub. 2| Pub. 3| Pub. 4

Protein biochemistry

Purification and basic biochemical characterization of native and heterologously expressed enzymes.
Representative publications: Pub. 1| Pub. 2

Mechanistic enzymology

Thorough examination of enzyme mechanisms using specifically designed substrates and detailed kinetic analyses.
Representative publications: Pub. 1| Pub. 2| Pub. 3| Pub. 4

Enzyme engineering

Rational modification of enzymes for various applications using knowledge of protein structure and enzyme mechanism.
Representative publications: Pub. 1| Pub. 2| Pub. 3

Protein/enzyme structure-function analysis

Via collaboration with world-leading protein crystallographers, we use the above tools to develop a better understanding of how protein structure dictates enzyme catalytic properties.
Representative publications: Pub. 1| Pub. 2| Pub. 3| Pub. 4

Carbohydrate-based materials development

Synthetic chemistry and enzyme technology are combined to develop chemo-enzymatic technologies to expand the performance of polysaccharides and cellulosic fibers.
Representative publications: Pub. 1| Pub. 2| Pub. 3| Pub. 4| Pub. 5| Pub. 6

For a complete publication list, please see this page.