BiodeCCodiNNg
Decoding novel reaction chemistries in biocatalysis – Training Europe’s next visionaries for a sustainable future
We are a European research project decoding novel reaction chemistries in enzymes and thus to make organic synthesis more sustainable.
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Our publications 
Schröder, Simon; Maier, Artur; Schmidt, Sandy; Mügge, Carolin; Tischler, Dirk
Enhancing biocatalytical NN bond formation with the actinobacterial piperazate synthase KtzT Journal Article
In: Molecular Catalysis, vol. 553, pp. 113733, 2023, ISSN: 2468-8231.
@article{SCHRODER2024113733,
title = {Enhancing biocatalytical NN bond formation with the actinobacterial piperazate synthase KtzT},
author = {Simon Schröder and Artur Maier and Sandy Schmidt and Carolin Mügge and Dirk Tischler},
url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2468823123008155},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mcat.2023.113733},
issn = {2468-8231},
year = {2023},
date = {2023-12-04},
urldate = {2023-12-04},
journal = {Molecular Catalysis},
volume = {553},
pages = {113733},
abstract = {Natural compounds with nitrogen-nitrogen bonds are diverse and have applications in medicine and agriculture. l-Piperazic acid (Piz), an α-hydrazino acid, is one of few naturally occurring compounds of its kind. Yet, Piz and its derivatives are valuable building blocks for bioactive compounds. Few NNzymes, enzymes capable of forming NN bonds, have been identified thus far. The hemoenzyme KtzT from Kutzneria sp. 744 catalyzes the intramolecular NN bond formation of N5‑hydroxy-l-ornithine (OH-Orn) to form Piz, a natural building block of kutznerides. The latter has antifungal and antibiotic properties. In our study, we established an improved expression method, with significantly improved yields (ca. 35-fold) of heme-loaded enzyme, making the enzyme much more accessible for laboratory studies. In vitro biochemical characterization under conditions for NN bond formation indicated a considerable thermo- and pH-flexibility, with optimal reaction conditions at 30 °C and 10 mM Tris buffer at pH 9 together with low salinity, paving the way for more complex applications involving KtzT. We have also identified two homologous enzymes from extremophilic organisms to exhibit piperazate-forming activity. In silico structural studies, combined with phylogenetic analysis, resulted in a heme- and substrate-binding model, suggesting target enzyme residues that we propose are critical for the structural integrity and catalytic activity of KtzT. Following this approach, we investigated the potential role of a cysteine residue in a dimer-stabilizing disulfide bridge. The interplay of in vitro and in silico data therefore provides crucial functional information on this enzyme class.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}

Training Europe's next visionaries for a sustainable future to create tailor-made biocatalysts
Our BiodeCCodiNNg project is a Doctoral Network (DN) that builds around a comprehensive doctoral training programme to educate Europe’s next visionaries with out-of-the-box thinking and an entrepreneurial mindset to expand the repertoire of enzymes for industrial biotechnology.
From enzyme discovery to industrial implementation – ceating novel biocatalysts for industrial and pharmaceutical biotechnology
We combine basic research and applied engineering to deliver new synthetic routes to chemically relevant products in more efficient and cleaner ways than the present ones.
Teaming up with different partners
Our network is based on a multidisciplinary team bringing together ten academic partners from renowned European universities and 10 industrial partners from all over Europe.
