Fungal Biotechnology: Unlocking the Full Potential of Fungi for a More Sustainable World

Lange, Lene; Agger, Jane Wittrup; Meyer, Anne S.

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-29541-7_1

Cited by 7 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 49 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Improved use of the global biological resources is urgently needed. We currently lose as much as approximately 35% as food waste [ 53 ] and estimated 15% more by not upgrading the food and non-food processing side-streams to their full potential [ 5 ]. Hereby all in all loosing, about half of all food and feed produced.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To unlock the full potential of plant biomass and agro-industrial feed stocks in the development of the new circular, bio-based economy, we need to identify new enzymes and microbes for improved bioprocessing of a wide spectrum of biomasses resources, processing side-streams and wastes [ 2 , 3 ]. Fungi and specifically fungal genomes represent huge reservoirs of biotechnologically useful enzymes for such processes [ 3 , 4 , 5 ]. The current portfolio of enzymes used in industrial biotechnology and in biomass conversion is derived from a minute part of the Fungal (and Bacterial) Kingdoms [ 5 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Fungi and specifically fungal genomes represent huge reservoirs of biotechnologically useful enzymes for such processes [ 3 , 4 , 5 ]. The current portfolio of enzymes used in industrial biotechnology and in biomass conversion is derived from a minute part of the Fungal (and Bacterial) Kingdoms [ 5 ]. Clearly, the provision of new insight into the biomass degrading potential of fungi and comprehension of their enzyme profiles is imperative in the pursuit of new enzymes, improved resource efficiency, and biomass utilization [ 4 , 5 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The current portfolio of enzymes used in industrial biotechnology and in biomass conversion is derived from a minute part of the Fungal (and Bacterial) Kingdoms [ 5 ]. Clearly, the provision of new insight into the biomass degrading potential of fungi and comprehension of their enzyme profiles is imperative in the pursuit of new enzymes, improved resource efficiency, and biomass utilization [ 4 , 5 ]. The focus of the present study is to explore the exponentially growing space of un-annotated fungal genome data to identify promising fungal species and eco-physiological specializations with particularly rich and interesting CAZyme gene pools.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

New Method for Identifying Fungal Kingdom Enzyme Hotspots from Genome Sequences

Lange¹,

Barrett

Meyer

2021

JoF

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Fungal genome sequencing data represent an enormous pool of information for enzyme discovery. Here, we report a new approach to identify and quantitatively compare biomass-degrading capacity and diversity of fungal genomes via integrated function-family annotation of carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) encoded by the genomes. Based on analyses of 1932 fungal genomes the most potent hotspots of fungal biomass processing CAZymes are identified and ranked according to substrate degradation capacity. The analysis is achieved by a new bioinformatics approach, Conserved Unique Peptide Patterns (CUPP), providing for CAZyme-family annotation and robust prediction of molecular function followed by conversion of the CUPP output to lists of integrated “Function;Family” (e.g., EC 3.2.1.4;GH5) enzyme observations. An EC-function found in several protein families counts as different observations. Summing up such observations allows for ranking of all analyzed genome sequenced fungal species according to richness in CAZyme function diversity and degrading capacity. Identifying fungal CAZyme hotspots provides for identification of fungal species richest in cellulolytic, xylanolytic, pectinolytic, and lignin modifying enzymes. The fungal enzyme hotspots are found in fungi having very different lifestyle, ecology, physiology and substrate/host affinity. Surprisingly, most CAZyme hotspots are found in enzymatically understudied and unexploited species. In contrast, the most well-known fungal enzyme producers, from where many industrially exploited enzymes are derived, are ranking unexpectedly low. The results contribute to elucidating the evolution of fungal substrate-digestive CAZyme profiles, ecophysiology, and habitat adaptations, and expand the knowledge base for novel and improved biomass resource utilization.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

New Method for Identifying Fungal Kingdom Enzyme Hotspots from Genome Sequences

Lange¹,

Barrett

Meyer

2021

JoF

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…For this to happen, business models must include more than what is described above plus market forces: Corporate social responsibility efforts, CSR, international green funds, and philanthropy should work hand in hand with local (also many young) entrepreneurs (see the successful BioInnovate Africa, https://bioinnovate-africa.org/), and skilled work force, based on local biomass resources producing much needed biobased products, marketed in a growing market, including for export, hereby providing for improved food security for a growing population (Lange et al, 2012(Lange et al, , 2020a.…”

Section: Developing Business Models For the Future Biobased Industriesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Business Models, Including Higher Value Products for the New Circular, Resource-Efficient Biobased Industry

Lange¹

2022

Front. Sustain.

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The biobased business model, which initiated the era of improved use of the biological resources, upgrading resources otherwise wasted or downgraded, started with the “biomass to biofuel” biorefinery: economy by scale, requiring large investments, and stable supply of high volume, low-cost feedstock. A high-profiled business model for pioneering biorefineries was a joint venture, often formed by two already mature businesses, joining two sets of competence, skills, and experience; with opportunity for later merger or acquisition. The biofuel biorefinery was challenged from two sides, its commercial viability (caused by a low-priced end product) and sustainability issues, as it utilizes only the energy content and not the biomass structures. A new era of biobased industries was started, focusing on unlocking the full potential of biomass, by cascading optimized valorization of all (or at least more parts of) the biomass components. This dual objective, opens a spectrum of new types of bioeconomy business models, suitable for more complex biobased industries, including higher-value products in the biobased portfolio, being more complex, handling several more process steps and streams, and producing several types of biobased products. Five examples of such business models are described: (1) Biobased industry, upgrading in-house production sidestreams. (2) Biomass-specialized biorefinery. (3) Cooperatively owned biobased valorization of crop residues and processing sidestreams. (4) Industry clusters as the preferred biobased business model. (5) Local public/private consortium-owned production of biobased products. Furthermore, foresight analysis is presented on possible new business models, suitable for the expected wide variety of new types of biobased industries.

show abstract