Biorefining of novel cellulosics from forest fibre resources

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The forest products industry is a key contributor to Canada's gross domestic product (GDP). This contribution has been in decline for the past decade owing to a challenging global export economy and changing consumer needs for newsprint and other paper products made from wood pulp fibre. To stem further loss in market-share and spur growth into the future, the pulp and paper sector is in need of technical innovation to maximize the value of our national forest fibre resource though more efficient processing and the production of novel biomaterials. The development and commercialization of new fibre biocomposites, smart/responsive fibres, and nanomaterials are widely envisioned as central to the transformation of the forest bioeconomy. The vision of this Strategic Research Project is to translate fundamental insight gained through the discovery and characterization of novel cellulose-oxidizing enzymes into the development of new technology for wood fibre modification. State-of-the-art genomic and biochemical methods will be used to unlock the catalytic diversity of the Lytic Polysaccharide Mono-Oxygenase enzymes of Auxiliary Activity Family 10, archetypal members of which have been shown to selectively modify crystalline cellulose chains through the introduction of a reactive carboxylate group. This activity provides a currently unexploited handle to introduce new chemistry specifically and directly onto the surface of wood pulp fibres. This opportunity will be harnessed to introduce new functionality, improve performance, and broaden the application space of both traditional Northern Bleached Softwood Kraft Pulp and emerging biofibre derivatives such as microfibrillated cellulose. Through multi-disciplinary training of highly qualified personnel, including intimate interaction with a leading Canadian forest products company, this project will generate low-input, environmentally sustainable biotechnology applications to add value to Canada's vast forest resource.