KEY - Sulfates, esters, ethers & other chemistry control the activity of enzymes (B01)

• Subject Area: Biochemistry ; Biophysics ; Metabolism, Biochemistry and Genetics of Microorganisms ; Structural Biology
• Term: since 2025
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 542264307

We hypothesize that chemical glycan modifications contribute to carbon sequestration by modulating the enzymatic degradation. B1 KEY builds on our recent finding that algal glycans are remarkably stable during algal blooms. We will not only study model systems of enzymes and glycans but also continue to discover new enzymes involved in the degradation of algal glycans. The project’s focus on how chemical modifications protect glycans from enzymatic cascades highlights a potential mechanism for their role in long-term carbon storage.

• DFG Programme: CRC/Transregios
• Subproject of: TRR 420: Carbon sequestration at Å resolution - CONCENTRATE
• Applicant Institution: Universität Greifswald
• Project Heads: Professor Dr. Uwe T. Bornscheuer; Professor Dr. Michael Lammers