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Enzymatic oxidation of organic compounds using discharge plasma

Country of Origin: Germany
Reference Number: TODE20210729003
Publication Date: 2 August 2021

Summary

A German university has developed a process in which selective oxidations for the synthesisation of materials are possible under non-hazardous conditions. On the one hand, one can rely on the specificity of the oxidation by corresponding enzymes, on the other hand, one avoids dealing with hydrogen peroxide as a residue.  The university offers a licensing agreement and, if desired, a research cooperation agreement.

Description

Enzymatic reactions offer the possibility to synthesize new molecules with high selectivity and turnover. Of particular interest are regio- or even stereo-selective oxidation reactions in order to obtain high value compounds. Peroxygenases are valuable biocatalysts to achive this goal since they use H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide) through the so called “peroxide shunt pathway”, eliminating the need for expensive electron donors, such as flavins or nicotinamide cofactors. However, the industrial application of peroxidases or peroxygenases is limited due to their partial or complete inactivation in the presence of higher concentrations of peroxides. Several strategies have been developed in order to supply low concentrations of H2O2 in situ. However, all of these known methods are ether inefficient or require the addition of extra components to the reaction, making them less efficient and more expensive.

A German university developed a solution to this challenge. A plama device is employed to produce H2O2 in an aqueous solution in situ. The “activated” solution is guided to immobilized peroxidases or peroxygenases
where the actual enzymatic oxidation of the substrate takes place. The inventors can show that selectivity of the enzymes is retained and stability of the immobilized enzyme is high. Employing UPO (unspecific peroxygenase) from the fungus Agrocybe aegerita as oxygenase and ethylbenzene as substrate, the inventors could show feasability of this approach.

The university offers a licence agreement to the chemical or biotechnology industry. If the company is interested in the further development of the process, a research cooperation agreement is also possible.
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Advantages and Innovations

This innovation represents a new access to enzymatic oxidations in aqueous solution. Other advantages are:
- Higher selectivity of enzyme is retained
- More control over H2O2 concentration through control of plasma discharge
- Works with immobilized enzyme

Stage Of Development

Under development/lab tested

Stage Of Development Comment

The invention has been validated in a relevant environment and achieves a TRL 4 (Technology Readiness Level - 4: Component and/or Breadboard Laboratory Validated).

Requested partner

The university is looking for companies from the chemical or biotechnology industry that are interested in a licensing agreement. 

Research cooperation is also possible if the company wants to further develop this process on a larger scale or is looking for further examples of substrates or oxygenases in which the synthesis has been successfully used.

Kooperationsanfrage stellen