General workflow on research using microbes or microbe derived enzymes for industrial applications and a schematic representation of mixed sugar utilization in a CCR relaxed LAB strain from one of our research.
General workflow on research using microbes or microbe derived enzymes for industrial applications and a schematic representation of mixed sugar utilization in a CCR relaxed LAB strain from one of our research.

Microbes such as bacteria and yeasts are often used in the making of various products in food and nutrition, health, agriculture, and energy sectors. The use of these microbes as well as microbe derived enzymes requires research for both the identification of industrial efficient strains as well as design and optimization experiments.  NFML has a strong background of applying white biotechnology in lignocellulose biomass utilization using Lactic acid bacteria. Our premier research on the use of Lactobacillus brevis strain with a relaxed carbon catabolite repression (CCR) system for mixed sugar fermentation continues to inform research and applications in the area of biofuels and biochemicals production. In addition, we conduct various research on the biotechnological production of novel prebiotics such as human milk oligosaccharides using both engineered and non-engineered strains of bacteria. We also collaborate with research groups that carry out various biotechnological research using both microbes and/ or their enzymes. 

Research Outputs

  1. Activation of galactose utilization by the addition of glucose for the fermentation of agar hydrolysate using Lactobacillus brevis ATCC 14869. Biotechnology Letters 2022, 44, 823–830.
  2. Biotechnological production of human milk oligosaccharides. Biotechnology advances 2012, 30(6), 1268-1278.
  3. Relaxed control of sugar utilization in Lactobacillus brevis. Microbiology (Reading) 2009, 155, 1351-1359.
  4. Conversion of rice straw to bio-based chemicals: an integrated process using Lactobacillus brevis. Applied microbiology and biotechnology 2010, 86(5), 1375–1385.
  5. Atypical ethanol production by carbon catabolite derepressed lactobacilli. Bioresource technology 2010, 101(22), 8790–8797.
  6. Impact of Lactic Acid and Hydrogen Ion on the Simultaneous Fermentation of Glucose and Xylose by the Carbon Catabolite Derepressed Lactobacillus brevis ATCC 14869. Journal of microbiology and biotechnology 2016, 26(7), 1182–1189.
  7. A novel agarolytic β-galactosidase acts on agarooligosaccharides for complete hydrolysis of agarose into monomers. Applied and environmental microbiology 2016, 80(19), 5965-5973.
  8. Improved production of 2'-fucosyllactose in engineered Escherichia coli by expressing putative α-1,2-fucosyltransferase, WcfB from Bacteroides fragilis. Journal of biotechnology 2017, 257, 192–198.
  9. Comparison of Catalyzing Properties of Bacterial 4-α-Glucanotransferases Focusing on Their Cyclizing Activity. Journal of microbiology and biotechnology 2020, 31(1), 43–50.
  10. Enzymatic synthesis and characterization of maltoheptaose-based sugar esters. Carbohydrate polymers 2019, 218, 126–135.
  11. GH57 amylopullulanase from Desulfurococcus amylolyticus JCM 9188 can make highly branched cyclodextrin via its transglycosylation activity. Enzyme & Microbial  Technology 2018, 114:15-21.
  12. Type-dependent action modes of TtAA9E and TaAA9A acting on cellulose and differently pretreated lignocellulosic substrates. Biotechnology for biofuels 2017, 10, 46.
  13. Simultaneous consumption of pentose and hexose sugars: an optimal microbial phenotype for efficient fermentation of lignocellulosic biomass. Applied microbiology and biotechnology 2010, 88, 1077-1085.
  14. Metabolic engineering of Escherichia coli to produce 2'-fucosyllactose via salvage pathway of guanosine 5'-diphosphate (GDP)-l-fucose. Biotechnology and bioengineering 2016, 113(11), 2443–2452.
  15. Efficacy of acidic pretreatment for the saccharification and fermentation of alginate from brown macroalgae.Bioprocess & Biosystem Engineering 2016, 39(6):959-966.
  16. Optimization of fed-batch fermentation for xylitol production by Candida tropicalis. Journal of industrial microbiology & biotechnology 2002, 29(1), 16–19.
  17. Analysis and optimization of a two-substrate fermentation for xylitol production using Candida tropicalis. Journal of Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology 1999, 22, 181-186.