Experience

CarbExplore Research BV

• Netherlands
• Biotechnology Research
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Researcher

  • Jul 2018 - Present



Technische Universität Braunschweig

• Germany
• Research Services
• 700 & Above Employee

• Postdoctoral Researcher

  • Dec 2015 - Dec 2017



University of Groningen

• Netherlands
• Research Services
• 700 & Above Employee

• PhD student

  • Nov 2011 - Oct 2015

  Fossil oil is currently used for many materials, including plastics. Because the amount of fossil oil is limited, we have to look for alternatives. Nature provides us with many renewable alternatives. Sugars, for example, are abundantly available and can be converted to plastics via 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural (HMF) and 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA). The reaction to form FDCA from HMF is triple oxidation reaction. In this thesis, the discovery and characterization of HMF oxidase is described. This oxidase can, own its own, perform all three steps to make FDCA out of HMF. How the enzyme can do this and why only one of the two possible oxidation routes is taken by the enzyme is explained. In addition to that, HMF oxidase is also active on many other alcohols, aldehydes and even thiols. The oxidation of thiols was thought to be done exclusively by enzymes which act on cysteine, one of the natural amino acids. Our research however shows that HMFO, and other oxidases, is capable of oxidizing a wide variety of thiols. Although HMF oxidase can perform all three oxidation steps to form FDCA, the last step is slowing down the overall reaction. After solving the structure of the protein, we engineered the enzyme, resulting in an enzyme which can efficiently form FDCA. Thesis available here: http://www.rug.nl/research/portal/publications/hmf-oxidase(7b9d48ae-175a-4c52-8f65-e159daa55efc).html Show less