Exploration of Marine Bacteria: Unveiling Chitin-Degrading Enzymes for Chito-oligosaccharides and Chitosan Production

Funding

Project summary

In crustacean skeletal tissue, chitin and proteins are combined to form a chitin-protein matrix, which undergoes extensive calcification to produce hard shells. However, the crustacean processing side streams are still seen as recalcitrant and are often discarded immediately, resulting in the loss of valuable compounds and contributing to environmental problems. There is an urgent need to explore alternatives that valorize these crustacean processing side streams into high-value compounds for premium applications, while minimizing waste. One of the most promising compounds in this context is chitin.

Chitin, a recalcitrant polymer abundantly available in marine by-products, can be valorized into high-value products such as chito-oligosaccharides and chitosan. The conversion process involves several enzymatic reactions for which marine bacteria are an untapped source of these enzymes. These high-potential marine bacteria could be identified by in silico screening of genes encoding chitinolytic enzymes. Also, the bacterial strains with chitinolytic activity will be isolated and their enzyme activities quantified. Subsequently, a full fermentation process will be developed to extract, deproteinize, demineralize and convert chitin from crustacean waste into chito-oligosaccharides and chitosan, compounds with a high potential in diverse application fields.

Duration

In Total

Start: 01 October 2024
End: 30 September 2028

At Ghent University - Campus Kortrijk

Start: 01 October 2025
End: 30 September 2027