Aims and description
Susy, the abbreviation of Sucrose Synthase, is a collaborative research project where eight different partners (three academic institutes and five industrial partners) from five European countries are involved in. This project falls under the “Seventh Framework Programme” (FP7) of the European Commission. The goal of Susy is to develop an in vitro platform technology based on the carbohydrate-modifying enzymes sucrose synthase (SuSy) and levansucrase (LS) for the cost-effective application of glycosyltransferases in the production of specific glycosyl compounds. Glycosylation can both improve the physicochemical character and the biological activity of molecules and is therefore of considerable significance in divers industrial applications.
The downside of the industrial application of glycosyltransferases is the necessity for expensive nucleotide-activated sugars as glycosyl donors to perform the glycosylation reactions. In this project we aim to overcome this restriction by a combination of biocatalyst/enzyme engineering and process optimization. On one hand, the performance and operational stability of the used carbohydrate-modifying enzymes will be improved by rational design of enzyme variants through a combination of structure- and sequence-based approaches; and by development of immobilized formulations. On the other hand, a recycling system for activated sugar donors will be accomplished by use of these improved biocatalysts. In this way, we want to develop a multi enzyme-based process for the cost-effective production of glycosylated compounds. In a final stage, the reactions will be scaled-up at the pilot plant facilities present in our consortium to allow for a commercial exploitation of the glycosylated target products
