A-xylosidase enhanced conversion of plant biomass into fermentable sugars
AssigneeBoard of Trustees of Michigan State University
InventorsJonathan D. Walton, John S. Scott-Craig, Melissa Borrusch
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Abstract
The invention relates to increasing the availability of fermentable sugars from plant biomass, such as glucose and xylose. As described herein, α-xylosidases can be employed with cellulases to enhance biomass conversion into free, fermentable sugar residues.
Claims26
A composition comprising an isolated secreted α-xylosidase and at least 5% by weight cellulase.
A method, comprising:
- a) providing;
- i) a plant biomass comprising a hemicellulose material;
- and
- ii) an enzyme mixture comprising an isolated α-xylosidase and a cellulase;
- and
- b) incubating said biomass with said enzyme mixture for a time and under conditions sufficient to create a depolymerized hemicellulose material;
- wherein said depolymerized hemicellulose material comprises a plurality of free fermentable xylose and glucose residues.
A method for expressing α-xylosidase comprising culturing a host cell comprising an isolated nucleic encoding an α-xylosidase enzyme for a time and under conditions for expression of the α-xylosidase enzyme.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.