The research team at the University of Groningen (RUG) working on WP2 ( Enzyme intelligence platform) and WP3 ( Cutting-edge enzyme biotechnology platform) in OXIPRO is in full swing. In the last period, Bachelors and Masters students joined the team to work on the discovery and engineering of oxidative enzymes. The first newly discovered oxidases (with support from WP2 partner BSC!) have been thoroughly analyzed and have revealed interesting new catalytic features. Manuscripts on these findings have been completed and submitted to scientific journals, and we are eagerly awaiting the publication of these studies.
About the Group
The group is working with enzymes – proteins produced by cells to enable their metabolism and responsible for the biochemical reactions of all living organisms. Enzyme function has been perfected over billions of years of evolution. As these “molecular machines” are responsible for all chemical transformations in the cells, a vast amount of variants is known, many of which show activities interesting for industrial application.
Why biocatalysis?
The group believes that enzymes can constitute a biological solution to several problems faced by the chemical industry with profound societal impact: the use of precious resources, the creation of hazardous waste, and the consumption of large amounts of energy. This is because enzymes are proteins made from natural building blocks, operate in water, and often are much more efficient than chemical transformations.
Who’s who in the image:
Back row:
Dr. Hein Wijma, computational expert, supports work in WP2; Lars Santema, PhD student working on WP3; Prof. Dr. Marco Fraaije – Group Leader; Henriette Rozeboom, experimental support for WP3 with Lars & Delia
Front row:
Damian Klein, BSc, working on a project with Veronica & Hein as supervisors; Veronica Bodescu, PhD student working on WP2; Delia Florea, MSc student, working with Lars on a 6-month MSc project;
Find out more here:
Info on the university: https://www.rug.nl/about-ug/
Info on the group: https://fraaije.info/