• Biotechnology

Laboratory of Biosynthetic Chemistry

Main Research Theme
Biosynthesis of novel biodegradable polyesters 　Mechanistic study of polyester-synthesizing enzymes 　Directed evolution of enzymes 　Biodegradation of microbial polyesters
Research Field
Biological chemistry 　Enzyme engineering 　Biomaterials 　Biosynthesis 　Biodegradation 　Metabolic engineering
Keyword
Biobased plastic 　Biodegradable plastics 　Evolutionary engineering 　CO2 fixing enzyme 　Isotactic polymer 　Biomass

Japanese Page

PI Ken’ichiro Matsumoto　Professor

PI message

 

Research

We are conducting research on microbial synthesis (or decomposition) of useful substances such as biodegradable plastics. The properties of the obtained polymer vary depending on the function of the synthetic enzyme used. Evolutionary engineering is thus a powerful approach to expand the function of enzymes and to produce polymers with desired properties. In addition, we develop unique analytical methods to elucidate the mechanism of enzymatic reactions.

Member

  • Ken’ichiro Matsumoto
    Professor
    Research Field
    Biological Chemistry, Polymer Chemistry
  • Hiroshi Kikukawa
    Associate Professor
    Research Field
    Metabolic Engineering, Enzyme Engineering
  • Shin-ichi Hachisuka
    Assistant Professor
    Research Field
    Applied Microbiology

Main Research Achievements

  • H. T. Phan, Y. Hosoe, M. Guex, M. Tomoi, H. Tomita, M. Zinn, K. Matsumoto, Biomacromolecules, in press (2022).
    DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.1c01480
  • Y. Kageyama, H. Tomita, T. Isono, T. Satoh, K. Matsumoto, Scientific Reports, 11, Article number: 22446 (2021).
    DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-01828-9
  • C. Hori, T. Sugiyama, K. Watanabe, J. Sun, Y. Kamada, T. Ooi, T. Isono, T. Satoh, S. Sato, S. Taguchi, K. Matsumoto, Polymer Degradation and Stability 179 109231-109231 (2020).
    DOI: 10.1016/j.polymdegradstab

Contact

mken(at)eng.hokudai.ac.j

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