The main objective of UniCorn is the development of the enzymatic means that will provide bioprocessing of corn cob and kernels, as well as corn silk, corn bran and corn gluten meal, (by-products from corn starch processing industry) into added value food products and biomaterials, following basic principles of industrial biotechnology.
Corn-based materials will be treated with in-house produced microbial enzymes, glycoside hydrolases and peptidases, originating from bacteria from the genus Bacillus and fungi from the genus Aspergillus and Trichoderma, to obtain novel bioactive compounds of added value, while the remaining biomaterials will be tested as adsorbents for pollutants in wastewater treatment.
Establishment of cost-effective production of glucohydrolase and peptidase enzymes.
Characterization and improvement of properties of glucohydrolase and peptidase enzymes for bioprocesses.
Adjusting the use of enzyme preparations on corn material to obtain high-value products.
UniCorn will improve the use of enzymes in the industry by applying various molecular biotechnology techniques to increase enzyme yield and stability, as well as to optimize enzyme activity on complex natural substrates. In order to achieve the maximum production of enzymes by microorganisms, different methods and growing conditions on solid and submerged media will be optimized. The improved enzyme variants will be analyzed in detail to evaluate their biochemical properties such as stability, solubility, activity, substrate specificity and structure. Immobilization as a common way to improve enzyme stability will also be tested. Selected corn materials, including waste material from corn processing, will be treated with specific enzyme preparations for bioprocessing into products of added value: prebiotics, dietary fibers, antioxidants, and peptides. Material residues that are not susceptible to enzymatic hydrolysis will be tested as natural adsorbents for wastewater treatment. The reaction conditions for the bioprocessing of different corn-based materials will be optimized to obtain target products with added value.
Implementation of the project through 4 work packages (WP); the first three are organized by the type of corn material for which enzyme preparations will be developed:
In-house enzyme solutions for obtaining added-value products from corn lignocellulosic materials.
In-house enzyme solutions for obtaining added-value products from corn starch materials.
In-house enzyme solutions for obtaining added-value products from corn protein materials.
Dissemination and project management.
UniCorn will promote scientific excellence and create and disseminate new high-quality fundamental and applied knowledge in the field of industrial biotechnology, which will be presented in high-quality publications.
Responsible production and consumption of domestic material as well as waste valorization, a lot of raw corn exported unprocessed, and lack of domestic functional food with added value products, are all potential for enhancement of innovation capacity, creation of new market opportunities, strengthen competitiveness and growth of companies, and addressing environmental or social issues. UniCorn will set the knowledge foundation and establish connections with stakeholders, consumers, regulators, scientists, suppliers or manufacturers, health professionals or organizations that set recommendations and standards, and provide a common understanding of bioeconomy, knowledge exchange platform and good practices to reinforce collaboration between the different stakeholders, with the focus being on the implementation of technology transfer in bioeconomy. The project's activities will contribute to the circular economy and promote sustainable development. The ultimate benefit of sustainable processes will be on society, having great potential to create jobs in rural areas, healthier environment and diets.