POTENTIAL OF EXTREMOPHILES FOR BIOTECHNOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS

Extremophilic enzymes offer the opportunity to perform biotransformation in drastic operative conditions which usually cause denaturation of mesophilic enzymes. They are resistant to the harsh conditions of industrial processes (high temperature, extreme of pH, high concentrations of salts and organic solvents) allowing higher rate of substrate conversion, better solubility of the reagents/products, and absence of microbial contamination. Moreover, extremophiles are of significant biotechnological interest as they are good producers of biopolymers provided with remarkable properties.The main targets of our research activity are: 1) identification of novel enzymes involved in the degradation of polysaccharides contained in lignocellulosic biomasses. The hydrolysis products might be exploited for chemicals and fuels production; 2) production of exopolysaccharides (EPS) and poly-hydroxyalkanoates (PHA). EPS possess multiple applications in the pharmaceutical, food and other industries as gelling, emulsifier and stabilizing agents, whereas PHA are biodegradable and have thermoplastic and elastomeric properties.