Extremophiles for the biologisation of industry

An article by Professor Garabed Antranikian from the Institute of Technical Microbiology at Hamburg University of Technology.

Making unusual biological systems available will contribute to resolving global challenges such as the use of natural resources, the supply of food, health, energy and the environment. Microorganisms that can survive under extreme conditions constitute a biotechnological treasure trove for efficient bioprocesses. This is because they manufacture a broad range of unique biocatalysts (extremozymes) that are active at extreme temperatures, pH levels, high salt content and solvent concentrations. This allows biomass, e.g. plants, to be effectively converted by enzymes into high-quality products such as basic chemicals, biomaterials, pharmaceuticals, foods, animal feed and biofuels, resulting in the development of a more environmentally friendly biobased industry.

Enzymes that break down carbohydrates can be of great interest when it comes to producing biofuels and chemicals at high temperatures. Second-generation biofuels are made in biorefineries using lignocellulosic materials such as agricultural or forestry residues. The biomass needs to be pretreated on account of the complex structure of the plant cell walls, which makes the polysaccharides (carbohydrates consisting of several sugar molecules bonded together) accessible for the enzymatic effect. Thermal pretreatment has the advantage of allowing thermally active enzymes to be used to break down any available polymers at the same time. Another well-known example of thermally active enzymes is the DNA polymerase, which is used in laboratories to copy and reproduce DNA through polymerase chain reaction (PCR), e.g. for the diagnosis of hereditary diseases. The discovery of this extremozyme has enormously accelerated the development of the life sciences.