A delegation of several members from three OXIPRO consortium partners took part in the 10th OxiZymes meeting, held from 5th to 8th July in beautiful Siena, Italy. Initially devoted to research activities on laccases and peroxidases, this meeting now covers the whole class of oxidoreductases, and a range of applications. The expectations were very high since the meeting had to be postponed for two years due to the Covid pandemic.
This year’s program included sessions focusing on the discovery of new enzymes, the engineering of enzymes for specific functionalities, and several different biotechnological applications.
The range of topics and application for the oxidoreductases is steadily increasing including biorefinery and biomass conversion, biomaterials, and fine chemistry, among others. Laccases and peroxidases remain the main focus in the community, but other oxidoreductases are increasingly gaining attention for their unique properties and range of applications.
The OXIPRO consortium was well represented by NORCE, the University of Groningen, and Gecco Biotech. Prof. Marco Fraaije presented a plenary talk on how oxidases can be used for biomass valorization. From NORCE, Marianne Goris and Antonio Garcia-Moyano participated with a poster on a selection of trimethylamine monoxygenases that can be used to remediate fish notes and flavours in seafood ingredients. Nikola Lončar, Davide Carraretto and Benedetta Guerriere from Gecco Biotech presented their posters on novel encapsulins, oxidases and peroxygenases. The conference was a great opportunity to get together and engage with the international oxidoreductase research community.