Grant: Strategic Projects - Group

Terrestrial plant biomass, in the form of agricultural crops and forest materials, constitutes one of Canada's most important and abundant natural resources. Indeed, Canada's forests are iconic, and the forest products industry has long been a major contributor to the national gross domestic product (GDP). However, shifting consumer demands and a challenging global economy for traditional products have stimulated strong interest in the development of novel routes to produce innovative, high valued-added products from forest biomass. There is likewise significant interest to derive more value from the presently under-utilized biomass residues that result from Canada's vast agricultural output. By analogy with the petrochemical refinery, the modern ""biorefinery"" comprises the separation of renewable forest and agricultural biomass into key constituents (including fibres, complex carbohydrates, lignin, and extractives), followed by upgrading of these fractions to high-value bioproducts. To realize the full potential of the biorefinery to transform Canada's bioeconomy, there is significant need to devise efficient, low-input processes that are also environmentally sustainable.*Thus, the vision of this Strategic research project is to translate fundamental insight gained through the discovery and characterization of novel enzymes, to develop new technology to upgrade raw bioproducts to high-value materials and chemical intermediates. State-of-the-art genomic and biochemical methods will be used to unlock the catalytic diversity of the Copper-Radical Oxidases, archetypal members of which have been shown to selectively modify biomass polysaccharides and alcohols. These enzymes, which uniquely require only oxygen as a co-substrate, represent a currently under-exploited class of efficient biocatalysts that can be harnessed to introduce new functionality into key biomass components. Through multi-disciplinary training and close interaction with a dynamic Canadian enzyme technology company, this project will produce innovative biotechnology and highly qualified personnel to add value to Canada's vast biomass resources.