CPR is part of new laboratory for Harnessing the oxidative power of enzymes (HOPE)

Jesper Olsen’s group at Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research (CPR) is part of new laboratory for Harnessing the oxidative power of enzymes (HOPE), which is established based on an award of 35M DKK from the Novo Nordisk Foundation (NNF).

The new laboratory will investigate recently discovered enzymes known as LPMOs (lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases), which are a class of oxidative enzymes that is critical for efficient biomass degradation, for example breakdown of cellulose. With the help of copper, LPMOs can hydrolyze the cellulose surface, which is a crucial step for converting plant waste to bioethanol.

The HOPE project will investigate new aspects of the chemistry and biology of LPMOs including their involvement in human and plant pathogenesis. The HOPE project is a collaboration between CPR, Copenhagen Plant Science Center and the Department of Chemistry at University of Copenhagen along with the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability at DTU. Katja S. Johansen from Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management at University of Copenhagen is the grant holder. CPR will contribute with it world-leading expertise in mass spectrometry-based proteomics to the HOPE project.