US-Egypt Cooperative Research: Isolation, purification, and characterization of novel halophilic, alkalithermophilic enzymes of industrial interest from alkaline hypersaline lake

1132412该项目支持乔治亚州雅典大学微生物系Jurgen Wiegel博士和埃及伊斯梅利亚苏伊士运河大学生物化学系Noha Mesbah博士的合作研究。他们计划分离和鉴定新的微生物，即在当今的物理化学边界生长的极端微生物，并从这些极端微生物中对生物技术有用的酶进行详细的表征。选定的酶将使洗涤剂、纸浆、造纸和化学工业等行业能够利用自然资源和生态无害的方法改进和修改其产品。该项目的目的包括：(1)分离和鉴定好氧和厌氧极端微生物；埃及Wadi An Natrun湖泊中的嗜盐嗜碱菌和嗜碱嗜热菌；具有独特和新颖性质的具有工业生产潜力的特殊酶的微生物将通过选择性方法得到丰富。(2)筛选分离物用于酶生产。筛选的酶包括蛋白酶、脂肪酶、酯酶、纤维素酶和木聚糖酶，(3)从分离物中大规模培养和纯化极端酶，(4)鉴定有前途的新酶，重点关注酶在极端条件下的稳定性、活性和底物特异性，(5)选择有前途的酶进行异源表达，以进行可能的修饰和大规模生产。智力价值：该项目将允许与埃及的对应方合作，从埃及极端生境中分离和鉴定晕/亲碱和碱/嗜热原核生物，并利用这些生物进行生物勘探，寻找工业上有用的酶。这项研究将导致分离和鉴定新的微生物，极端微生物，生长在当今的物理化学边界生长。此外，它将导致从这些极端微生物中鉴定和详细描述生物技术上有用的酶，这可以使埃及和美国当地的不同工业，特别是洗涤剂/纸浆/造纸/化学工业，利用自然资源和无害生态的方法改进和修改其产品。更广泛的影响：除了发现有益于社会的天然产物，以及可能改善受影响行业的环境产出外，更广泛的影响将包括在现代和跨学科的微生物、分子和生化方法方面培训美国和埃及的研究生和本科生科学家。

1132412 This project supports a cooperative research Dr. by Jurgen Wiegel, Department of Microbiology at the University of Georgia in Athens, GA and Noha Mesbah, Department of Biochemistry at Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt. They plan to isolate and identify novel microorganisms, known as extremophiles that grow at the present-day physiochemical boundaries for growth, and to conduct detailed characterization of biotechnologically useful enzymes from these extremophiles. The selected enzymes will allow industries, such as the detergent, pulp, paper, and chemical industries, to improve and modify their products using natural resources and ecologically sound methods. The aims of the project include: (1) Isolation and identification of aerobic and anaerobic extremophiles; halophilic alkaliphiles and alkalithermophiles from the lakes of the Wadi An Natrun in Egypt; microorganisms harboring specialized enzymes with unique and novel properties of great potential for industrial processes will be enriched for using selective methods (2) Screening the isolates for enzyme production. Enzymes to be screened for include proteases, lipases, esterases, cellulases and xylanases, (3) Large scale culture and purification of extremozymes from isolates, (4) Characterization of promising novel enzymes, with a focus on enzyme stability, activity and substrate specificity under extreme conditions, and (5) Heterologous expression of selected promising enzymes for possible modification and mass production. Intellectual Merit: The project will allow the isolation and characterization of halo/alkaliphilic and alkali/thermophilic prokaryotes from extreme habitats in Egypt in collaboration with counterparts in that country, and using these organisms in bioprospecting for industrially useful enzymes. The research is to lead to the isolation and identification of novel microorganisms, extremophiles, which grow at the present-day physiochemical boundaries for growth. In addition, it will lead to the identification and detailed characterization of biotechnologically useful enzymes from these extremophiles, which can allow different industries, particularly the detergent / pulp / paper / chemical industries, present locally in Egypt and the United States, to improve and modify their products using natural resources and ecologically sound methods.Broader Impact: In addition to natural product discovery of benefit to society, and the likely improvement in the environmental output of the affected industries, broader impacts would include the training of graduate and undergraduate scientists in the US and Egypt in modern and interdisciplinary microbial, molecular and biochemical methods.