Hydrolases as Catalysts for Green Chemistry and Industrial Applications - Esterase, Lipase and Phytase

Abstract: Popular Abstract in English The chemical industry has greatly contributed to the advancement of the human civilization. However, the side effects of this industry have become a real environmental burden. The message in this thesis is that enzymes have a great potential as catalysts for clean and sustainable processes. With three enzymes: an esterase, a lipase and a phytase, the thesis demonstrated how to rationally engineer the enzyme structure to improve its performance for a certain task, how to engineer an enzyme-based reaction to run solvent-free processes, the advantages of biocatalysts over conventional chemical catalysts, and the importance of green metrics in the evaluation of the developed processes. The integration of computer science, bioinformatics, molecular biology, and chemistry is traced throughout this thesis. Such an interdisciplinary approach is promising and necessary for the future development of biocatalysis and green chemistry.