| WARF: P00329US |  |
| Thermostable Barley Alpha-Glucosidase for Improved Ethanol Production |
| INVENTORS | • | Cynthia Henson, Elizabeth Muslin, Suzanne Clark |
The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) is seeking commercial partners interested in developing a modified, thermostable barley alpha-glucosidase.
OVERVIEW
Barley alpha-glucosidase is an important enzyme in the conversion of barley starch to fermentable sugars during the industrial production of ethanol. However, it is relatively thermolabile, which is a disadvantage for an enzyme used in industrial processes at elevated temperatures.
THE INVENTION
UW-Madison researchers have developed a mutant barley alpha-glucosidase with increased thermal stability. They developed thermostable forms of the enzyme using site directed mutagenesis. Sites for mutagenesis were selected through comparisons with the sequences of other, more thermostable, alpha-glucosidase proteins.
APPLICATIONS
- Part of a kit for assaying the quality of flour products, and in any process that uses starch as a source of sugars, including brewing, glucose syrup production, and textile and paper pulping
- Mashing systems where nutrient broths are created for fermenting or for generating alcohol fuel from corn material
KEY BENEFITS
- Mutant enzyme shows increased thermal stability of 10 to 15 degrees as compared to wild-type alpha-glucosidase.
- Enzyme can be easily and efficiently produced in yeast.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
For More Information About the Inventors
Intellectual Property Status
Tech Fields
Cleantech - Biofuels & renewable fuels
Research Tools - Fermentation
Food & Supplements - Safety & quality
CONTACT INFORMATION
For current licensing status, please contact our team at
licensing@warf.org
or phone 608.262.4924. (Clicking this link will open a contact form in a popup window. If you have problems viewing the form, try disabling your popup blocker software.)
Since its founding in 1925 as the patenting and licensing organization for the University of Wisconsin-Madison, WARF has been working with business and industry to transform university research into products that benefit society. WARF intellectual property managers and licensing staff members are leaders in the field of university-based technology transfer. They are familiar with the intricacies of patenting, have worked with researchers in relevant disciplines, understand industries and markets, and have negotiated innovative licensing strategies to meet the individual needs of business clients.
