Wood biomass valorisation

Wood or lignocellulosic biomass, more generally, is a readily available renewable resource that offers sustainable solutions for our growing human population. The core wood polymers – cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin – serve as fundamental components, extending beyond paper production to produce valuable wood sugars, textile fibers, thermoplastics, and fine chemicals. In our project, we are developing enzyme technologies utilizing extremophilic microbe-derived enzymes to break down and modify lignin, remove toxic phenolic compounds, convert cellulose into wood sugars, and advance enzyme-catalyzed cellulose technologies. Additionally, the project focuses on advancing technologies for converting kraft, hydrolysis (and organosolv), and synthetic lignins into porous materials, thermoplastics, and cutting-edge catalysts.