Name: Iasson Elias Philippos Tozakidis
Diploma / M.Sc degree: Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Germany
(September 2012)

PhD Project: Whole-cell biocatalysis with Autodisplay

Abstract of Research Project

The fine chemical, pharmaceutical and agricultural industry has high demand for catalytic systems performing efficient and selective chemical transformations. Chemical catalysts are often limited in terms of chemo-, regio- and enantioselectivity. In many cases, enzymes provide higher selectivities and yields at moderate reaction conditions. However, the high cost of enzyme production and purification impedes the use of many enzymes for large scale industrial applications. Autodisplay is a versatile technology that allows the display of recombinant proteins on the cell surface of gram-negative bacteria. The surface display of enzymes with Autodisplay provides a whole-cell catalytic system which offers considerable advantages over conventional enzyme catalysis. Enzyme production and utilization takes place in one single step and the cells can be harvested and reused after a process cycle. The enzymes feature a higher stability due to their binding to the cell membrane and are fully accessible to their substrates. We want to exploit the potential of Autodisplay and establish new valuable biocatalysts for chemical reactions with industrial perspective.