by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Canadian officials have announced that the University of Toronto has been selected to receive $5 million to launch its Industrial Biocatalysis Network, which will explore new ways to use enzymes to produce environmentally friendly chemicals, plastics and other products.
The investment is the result of the most recent completion in the Strategic Network Grants program, which is administered by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.
According to information released by the NSERC, the network will be led by Elizabeth Edwards in collaboration with Concordia University and the University of British Columbia. Other network partners include CanSyn Chem Corp., DuPont Canada Inc., Elanco Animal Health/Division of Eli Lilly, Lallemand Inc., Monaghan Biosciences Ltd. and Suncor Energy Inc.
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Information released by the University of Toronto indicates members of the network will work together to find enzymes that can convert renewable resources, such as agricultural or forestry waste, into new materials.
“Recent genomic research has revealed tens of thousands of new enzymes, many of which may have capabilities relevant to industrial manufacturing,” said Edwards. “The IBN brings together a unique and world-leading combination of expertise in bioinformatics, bioengineering and fungal, yeast and bacterial enzymology to discover greener methods for manufacturing.” READ MORE and MORE (University of Toronto)