Until the mid-20th century, farmers struggled to get enough nitrogen for their crops, which limited plant growth. Then, along came the Haber-Bosch process, a groundbreaking invention that allowed us to make ammonia from the air, solving the nitrogen shortage and boosting food production worldwide. However, this innovation also led to a problem: farmers started using too much nitrogen, causing issues in the environment.
In response, this project, NoN2O, aims to develop biotechnology to use nitrogen more efficiently in agriculture and to reduce harmful nitrous oxide (N2O) greenhouse gas emissions. We plan to do this by utilizing waste materials to increase the activity of DNRA bacteria in soils. We will specifically focus on bacteria that in addition to DNRA can consume N2O, so when they are vectored into soils, they will enhance nitrogen retention and reduce the emissions. In simple terms, it is about making farming more sustainable and environmentally friendly.
To tackle the climate and environmental impact of chemical industrial processes, enzymes have emerged as a promising solution capable of radically minimizing the use of harsh chemicals and lowering consumption. Unfortunately, the enzymes available today are rarely directly suitable for these processes. However, fast-growing advanced techniques, such as computational protein design, enable us to improve existing enzymes or even create new ones. What sets EDFuSE apart is its holistic approach considering the enzyme multi-domain structure. Our focus is on the mutual organization and interplay of different domains with polymeric substrates, for optimal performance under industrial conditions. We will delve into the intricate details of enzyme structure and function to convert particularly complex materials and develop a versatile toolbox dedicated to enzyme engineering. EDFuSE represents a significant step toward more sustainable and eco-friendly industrial processes.