New enzymatic carbon dioxide capture from exhaust fumes.

CO₂ is the most abundant greenhouse gas, its elimination crucial to slow down global warming. So, reduction of CO₂ is one of the most important challenges for an eco-friendly and sustainable production of energy. Carbonic Anhydrases (CA) are a family of metalloenzymes that catalyze the conversion of carbon dioxide to carbonic acid: CO₂ + H₂O -> H₂O₃. Nature already found a solution as CA enables cells to fix carbon, regulate pH and process ion transport.

Challenge

Conventional solvent technologies for CO₂ elimination with chemical promoters have disadvantageous properties such as being corrosive, volatile and toxic. Thus, there is an unmet need for alternative solutions.

Our Solution

Scientists at the University of Göttingen isolated, cloned and characterized a new member of carbonic anhydrase (CA) for use as a new biocatalytic approach for CO₂ fixation. This unique CA was isolated form a marine sponge.

The new CA (Astrosclerin-3) is as powerful as common bovine CA. Wilbur-Anderson activity assay (A) and successful over-expression and purification of Astrosclerin-3 (B). X = inhibitor for CA. Source: Prof. Dr. Daniel Jackson.

Advantages

• High thermo-stability.
• Resistance to high salinity.
• Active even at low and high temperature.
• Extremely powerful enzyme catalyst for conversion of CO₂.
• Can be used in solvents, which are non-corrosive, non-volatile and non-toxic.
• Low sequence homology to other CA.

Applications

• CO₂ elimination/fixation from exhausts or effluents.
• Use in calcification processes.
• Elimination of toxic carbon disulfide.
• As biosensors e.g. determination of pH or zinc.

Developmental Status

Full enzymatic characterization in laboratory settings.

Patent Status

We are licensing this enzyme technology for further development (no IPR).

References

• Ordova et al.: Cloning, characterization and sulfonamide inhibition studies of an a-carbonic anhydrase from the living fossil sponge Astrosclera willeyana. Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry, 2012, 20.
• Jackson et al.: Sponge Paleogenomics Reveals an Ancient Role for Carbonic Anhydrase in Skeletogenesis. Science, 2007, 316.

Contact

Dr. Stefan Uhle
Patent Manager Life Science
E-Mail: suhle(at)sciencebridge.de
Tel.: +49 551 30724 154
Reference: BioC-1057-SUG

Tags: Neue Substanzen