Enzymes that use oxygen can be valuable biocatalysts: an intro to the OXYTRAIN project скачать в хорошем качестве

Enzymes that use oxygen can be valuable biocatalysts: an intro to the OXYTRAIN project

This short movie is about the enzymes, oxygenases, that are being investigated within the EU-funded training network OXYTRAIN. Oxygenases are a group of enzymes that carry out the selective introduction of oxygen into a large range of organic molecules under mild conditions, and thus catalyze crucial reactions in various metabolic routes. This versatility is of utmost interest for industrial processes that include oxidative transformations (for instance textile, pharmaceutical and biorefinery processes). The industrial use of oxygenases could represent an environmentally friendly alternative to harsh chemical processes for the production of bulk and fine chemicals, including pharmaceuticals, and other value-added products. Although significant development and research has been carried out in recent years resulting in some industrial applications, the exploitation of oxygenases, compared to other enzyme classes, is still in its infancy, mainly due to a relatively poor availability of industrially suitable biocatalysts and methodology to apply them. Therefore, to fully exploit the catalytic power of these enzymes, (i) deeper understanding of their abilities and limitations is needed, (ii) enzyme engineering needs to be conducted, and (iii) technical aspects of their application need to be solved. These are the goals of the OXYTRAIN project.