Discovery and characterization of fungal enzymes

Project description

Fast advances in genome sequencing and sequence processing technology leave ~30% of predicted proteins as “orphans”, meaning without known function or closely related enzymes. Being able to assign a function to such orphans opens avenues to select for and design powerful biocatalysts – individual enzymes, biosynthetic pathways or entire organisms.

This project aims to de-orphanize enzymes in fungi based on computational and experimental characterization. This research will not only yield biotechnologically-relevant catalysts but also provide the bioinformatic foundation for faster and more accurate prediction of enzyme function from amino acid sequence.

Techniques used: molecular cloning with Escherichia coli, aseptic technique, protein purification, enzymatic essays, metabolite extraction and analysis by LCMS.

Organization

The master research project will be conducted in the group of Dr. Kristina Haslinger. Our laboratory is well equipped for molecular biology, enzymology and working with E. coli. We offer a stimulating research environment for students interested in these topics. There also have good contacts with the pharmaceutical industry.

Requirements

We are looking for highly motivated students interested in working with non-model organisms and cutting-edge -omics technologies.

Contact

For more information, please contact Dr. Kristina Haslinger.
Chemical and Pharmaceutical Biology, GRIP
Building 3215, room 9.17
Antonius Deusinglaan 1
9713 AV Groningen