Paper accepted: High-throughput vibrational spectroscopy methods for determination of degree of acetylation for chitin and chitosan

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Today, the first paper of our Norwegian partners in the LignoLIPP project has been accepted for publication in the journal “Carbohydrate Polymers”, with our post-doctoral researcher Dr. Stefan Cord-Landwehr as a co-author.In this project, we aim to develop a biotechnological process for the production of high-value fungal lipids and native chitosans in a single fermentation process based on lignocellulose waste streams. To do so, we needed a rapid screening tool that would allow us to monitor lipid and chitosan content in the mycelia of different fungal species growing under different fermentation conditions. Our Norwegian partners are experts in sophisticated spectroscopy methods such as FTIR and FT-Raman which they perform routinely on microtitre scale. We supplied more than a dozen chitosan samples which we had analysed for their fraction acetylation using “conventional” methods, namely both the current gold standard proton NMR and our enzymatic-mass spectrometric fingerprinting assays. Based on these reference compounds, our Norwegian partners were able to develop a protocol for the high-throughput, accurate determination of the fraction of acetylation of chitin and chitosan in fungal cell walls. This method has been of crucial importance for the progress of our joint project. By now, we know which fungi grown under which conditions are the best-suited sources for natural chitosans. We are currently analysing the structural and functional features of these chitosans – so look forward to our next paper on this topic!