CASE STUDY — FOOD & AGRICULTURE

Overview

The sugar landscape has changed dramatically in the last several years. A combination of new sustainability practices, demands of health-conscious consumers, and global conflicts and supply chain issues have all made clear that more diverse starch resources are needed, sooner than later.

Challenge

Amylases—enzymes that digest starch—are being asked to do more than ever. They need to function on new and difficult-to-digest starches, perform better in colder environments (such as cold water detergents), and support burgeoning industries like biofuels and sustainable aviation fuel, which rely on efficient amylases for the production of bio-ethanol, derived from starches. 

In short, we need to get more and more out of our renewable resources, including more diverse amylases that can meet an increasingly demanding list of needs.

Going straight to the (natural) source

We conducted a thorough screen of our bit-GEM database, which contains sequences from naturally sourced microbes. Following downselecting for only sequences from BSL-1 organisms (important for anything that could be considered food), we conducted in vivo screening for activity at varying temperatures and pH levels.