Extreme Biotechnology: innovative solutions through the application of extremophilic enzymes

Extremophiles are microorganisms that thrive in extreme physical conditions of temperature, pH, radiation, salinity, among others. To survive, many of these extremophiles have adapted their metabolism by developing ultra-stable biomolecules such as highly efficient enzymes and novel secondary metabolites, which are customized for each specific extreme environment. These metabolic tools represent a valuable source of innovation for industrial and biotechnological applications where extreme conditions are required.

The adaptations of Extremophilic enzymes (extremozymes) depend on the extreme environment to which they are exposed. In many cases, these adaptations correspond to small changes in the amino acidic sequence, which are translated into variations in the structure, charge and/or hydrophobicity of the protein. Even though these are small changes, they are difficult to reproduce in a laboratory for the production of similar enzymes. Thus, the active bio-prospection of novel, high performance enzymes, which can work optimally under extreme conditions, is still the most efficient option to find extreme biocatalysts. Currently, few companies have the capabilities to find novel extremozymes and the technology to develop them for industrial applications.

In Swissaustral, we have established a unique platform to discover extremozymes from their natural source, extremophiles, and to develop them towards their application into solving non-standard technological challenges in Life Sciences, Biotechnology and Industry. Through our platform technology, we have discovered several enzymes of high industrial value such as hyperthermophilic nitrilase, thermophilic lipase, thermophilic glutamate dehydrogenase, psycrophilic catalase among others. The specific characteristics of these enzymes and their plausible industrial applications will be presented.