Unprecedented enzyme class prospected in Brazilian soil can increase biorefinery effi-ciency and accelerate the sustainable production of energy and chemicals
A new enzyme class discovered in Brazilian soil represents one of the main advances in recent decades in the field of sustainable production of energy and chemicals. This enzyme is capable of accelerating the cellulose breakdown, a critical process in the production of bioenergy and biochemicals. This discovery, published in the journal Nature was led by researchers from CNPEM (Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials, in Campinas) in a partnership with researchers from INRAE (French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment, at Aix Marseille University) and Technical University of Denmark (DTU).
This enzyme was identified from the genetic material of a microbial community found in biomass residues collected in Brazilian soils. Its novel mechanism of action, combined with the ability to generate its own co-substrate, makes it a powerful tool for plant biomass deconstruction.
“This discovery changes the paradigm of cellulose degradation in nature and has the potential to revolutionize biorefineries”, says CNPEM researcher Mario Murakami , responsible for leading the studies. “With CelOCE, we can envision new routes for bioenergy, biochemicals and biomaterials production from plant biomass, contributing to a bio-based, low-carbon and circular economy.”
CelOCE (Cellulose Oxidative Cleaving Enzyme) improves efficiency in breaking down biomass into glucose, an essential step to convert this raw material into bioenergy and biochemicals. This research spanned from bioprospection in nature to an industrially relevant scale, with validation at the CNPEM pilot plant.
Data under industrial conditions have shown that, when used together with enzymes already used in the industry, CelOCE increased the amount of glucose released by up to 21% from agro-industrial residues. This means higher productivity and less waste in the industrial process.
According to ANP (Brazilian National Agency for Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels) data, Brazil produced 43 billion ethanol liters in 2023. With this discovery, production can increase by billions of liters, using agro-industrial residues such as sugarcane bagasse, corn straw, wood and other crops, without needing to expand planting areas. However, the exact volume of this increase cannot yet be determined, as it depends on the amount of residues that will be used for ethanol production.
The research was carried out by a multidisciplinary team of scientists from CNPEM and international institutions from countries such as France and Denmark. According to CNPEM's General Director, Antonio José Roque da Silva, the combination of advanced techniques available at the Center, including X-ray crystallography at Sirius, Brazil's particle accelerator, and genetic engineering with CRISPR-Cas9, was essential to unravel CelOCE's unprecedented mechanism. “This work exemplifies the potential opened up by the integration and synergy between CNPEM's different scientific competencies”, highlights the institution's General Director.
This discovery has great biotechnological potential adding another layer in one of the major revolutions in the area that occurred more than 20 years ago, which was the discovery of oxidative chemistry for plant biomass deconstruction. In addition to challenging scientific paradigms on how microorganisms degrade cellulose, the discovery also contributes to the transition from a petrochemical to a biological-based economy, that favors the utilization of renewable and sustainable raw materials to generate, for example, cleaner and more sustainable energy solutions.
Furthermore, as this enzyme encompasses a minimalist scaffold with only 115 amino acids, it opens up avenues for enzyme design and even the creation of synthetic and non-natural activities to cope with human-made polymers such as in upcycling plastic waste.
“We have already filed the patent and are in the licensing process to make local production viable, which will expand the competitiveness and efficiency of biorefineries in Brazil”, says Murakami
Use in the productive sector can begin between one and four years after licensing, depending on the technology applied in its development.
About CNPEM
The Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM) is home to a state-of-the-art, multi-user and multidisciplinary scientific environment and works on different fronts within the Brazilian National System for Science, Technology and Innovation. A social organization overseen by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI), CNPEM is driven by research that impacts the areas of health, energy, renewable materials, and sustainability. It is responsible for Sirius, the largest assembly of scientific equipment constructed in the country, and is currently constructing Project Orion, a laboratory complex for advanced pathogen research. Highly specialized science and engineering teams, sophisticated infrastructure open to the scientific community, strategic lines of investigation, innovative projects involving the productive sector, and training for researchers and students are the pillars of this institution that is unique in Brazil and able to serve as a bridge between knowledge and innovation.
The core activities of CNPEM are carried out by the National Laboratories of Synchrotron Light (LNLS), Biosciences (LNBio), Nanotechnology (LNNano), and Biorenewables (LNBR), as well as the Ilum School of Science, which offers a bachelor's degree program in science and technology with support from the Ministry of Education (MEC).