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Biocatalysis is an area of biotechnology which involves making
use of the high efficiency of biological catalytic processes in
order to produce high-value chemicals. As well as being efficient,
biocatalytic reactions are very selective and environmentally
friendly, in comparison with conventional industrial chemistry
processes.
In this project, a process will be developed in
which selected indigenous bacterial strains will be used for
producing a group of specific enzymes, namely
hydantoin-hydrolysing enzymes, which are used for the synthesis of
particular amino acids. These high-value compounds can be
economically produced at relatively small scale, and would be
destined for application in the production of semi-synthetic
antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs, agricultural pesticides and
food additives. The technology will also be applied in using the
micro-organisms and their enzymes to develop stabilised
biocatalysts which can also be marketed as primary products.
The feasibility of developing a commercial
hydantoinase process in South Africa was established in a
fundamental research programme, and the present project will
develop the process from laboratory-scale, through bench-scale and
pilot scale, and to the point where commercialisation is viable. |