Chitin from insects is a novel and renewable resource available in Europe as a side-product from animal protein feed production. Currently, state-of-the-art chitosan is based on chemically treated crab shells that are mainly available from Asia.
The aim of the ERA-IB project ChitoTex is the modification of insect chitin as a novel and sustainable chitin resource in order to establish novel, bio-based, eco-friendly functional chitosan-coated textile fibers and formulations for the textile industry.
The consortium approach comprises the whole value chain: the production of the chitin from insects, the conversion to chitosan with different chain lengths and degree of acetylation, followed by a chemical modification of chitin and finally the application of the functional coatings for textile fibers and yarns.
Within the project consortium with partners from Germany, Norway and the Netherlands Eucodis will focus on the development and supply of novel enzymes for the biochemical conversion of chitin to chitosan and its enzyme-based downstream modification. Thereby, Eucodis will expand its enzyme portfolio into a completely novel area of chitin- and chitosanmodifying enzymes.
Eucodis will identify novel enzymes in genomic databases and literature and will develop production processes for these enzymes..The most promising candidates will be target of enzyme engineering to improve performance by Eucodis’ potent mutagenesis and recombination toolbox in respect to selectivity and activity. Subsequently, the enzymes can be used by the project partners in different combinations to establish novel production processes for modified chitosan derivatives and functional chitosan-coated fibers and textiles.
About Eucodis Bioscience
Eucodis delivers high-performance enzyme solutions for highly specific applications in biopharma, finechemicals and cosmetics industry. With a portfolio of over 50 enzymes including innovative lipases, beta-lactamases, peroxidases and other enzymes EUCODIS Bioscience has a proven track record of providing customized solutions. Eucodis offers the whole spectrum of non-GMP custom protein & enzyme services covering protein & enzyme engineering, strain & bioprocess development, fermentation in various pro- and eukaryotic host expression systems and routine industrial protein manufacturing. The company was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in Vienna, Austria. For more information on Eucodis: www.eucodis.com
EUCODIS participates in European ERA-IB project ChitoTex
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