Research Director: Yasuhisa ASANO
(Professor, Biotechnology Research Center, Toyama Prefectural University)
Research Term: Oct 2011 - Mar 2017
Special Extension Period: Apr 2017 - Mar 2018
Grant Number: JPMJER1102

Since enzymes are quite efficient biocatalysts active under mild conditions, they are expected to be applied to varieties of environmentally benign chemical processes realized in the next generation. This project has been aimed to contribute to future development of enzyme applications with new idea and technologies, through the research to use enzymes in the production of valuable chemicals and develop them as selective catalysts for micro-determination of biomaterials.

I believe that two factors are important for such purposes: one is the discovery of novel enzymes, and the other is the development of new enzymatic methods of synthesis. We proved the concepts by actually discovering new enzymes of plant and animal origins, by creating a new enzyme which nature did not provide with, and by achieving new enzymatic transformations. We developed new bioinformatics methods for soluble expression in recombinant host of genes for enzymes by rationally identifying hot spots in the enzyme primary structures. Furthermore, we collaborated with several companies for practical mass-production of useful chemicals and amino acid micro-determinations, and proved the effectiveness and robustness of our new idea, enzymes and methods. These results are highly evaluated by several sectors because they will contribute well to the future development of enzyme applications.