PROTOCOL TITLE
A Simple And Alternative Screening Method To Rapidly Assess Enzymatic Hydrolysis Of Algal Biomass
AUTHORS
Rafael Vitorino, Bernardo Carvalho, Daniel Figueiredo, Alice Ferreira, Hugo Pereira, João Varela, Luisa Gouveia
BOOK
Microalgae Protocols Book Ii (Red Cyted 320RT0005 Renuwal)
PUBLISHER
CYTED
ISBN
978-84-15413-62-2
ABSTRACT
Enzymatic hydrolysis is a multi‐purpose method used in various industrial fields for many potential applications. However, efficiently employing this methodology can be challenging due to differences in the biochemical composition of the biomass, or the specifications of the desired targeted compounds. Usually, lab‐scaled stirred tank bioreactors are utilized to evaluate the hydrolytic activity of enzymes. Still, these protocols are often complex and time‐consuming, making it difficult to properly assess the potential of these enzymes against the starting product. In this chapter, we propose a simple and quick alternative method to evaluate the hydrolytic activity of several enzymes in algal biomass. The method is based on incubating enzymes and
small volumes of biomass in microplates using orbital shaking and controlled temperature. This protocol can evaluate the hydrolytic activity of different types of enzymes simultaneously in less than 24 hours. In conclusion, this method is a practical approach to quickly test different hydrolysis conditions, decreasing the costs of evaluation assays for downstream applications.
