Research team deciphers enzymatic degradation of sugar from marine alga

Marine algae in the world's oceans store huge quantities of CO2, binding approximately as much CO2 per year as all land vegetation. In this process, algae produce large amounts of carbohydrates, which can be broken down by marine bacteria and provide an important energy source for the marine food web. The research team has now elucidated the complex degradation pathway of the polysaccharide Ulvan. Ulvan is a complex sugar produced by algae of the genus Ulva, which is degraded by the marine bacterium Formosa agariphila. The extensive study revealed the biochemical function of 12 enzymes. These findings are of considerable importance for basic research. And now, they enable the biotechnological exploitation of algal biomass that has never been used previously as a raw material for fermentations and for the isolation of valuable sugars.

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