The technological objective of MARIKAT is to unlock the potential of microbiomes in providing tools for emerging biorefineries of Europe to establish an unique marine bioresource, seaweed polysaccharides as a feedstock. Enzymatic refining of macroalgal polysaccharides to added value products on industrial scale is near to non-existent today – robust enzymatic tools are lacking. MARIKAT entails retrieval, evaluation and industrial development of enzymes identified in novel marine microbial genomes and metagenomes. Enzymes will be developed for different steps of a biorfinery seaweed value chain, from enzyme aided fractionation of the biomass, to conversion of different components to value added derivatives. Besides carbohydrate active degrading enzymes various auxiliary enzymes will be targeted e.g. enzymes for removing or changing substituent patterns of polysaccharides, e.g. sulfatases for de-sulphating recalcitrant polysaccharides; and modifying enzymes such as trans glucosidases that can add sugar moieties to different oligosaccharides and aglycones.
General assembly (GA):
Consists of one representative from all the participant groups and is chaired by the CO. The GA is the ultimate decision-making body on all major issues
Coordinator (CO):
Gudmundur Hreggvidsson
Management team (MT):
One member from each of the other RTD group
Scientificofficer (SO):
Eva Nordberg Karlsson
Dissemination officer (DO):
Lene Lange
Industrial board (IB):
ORF, ENZA, AVENT, LLA, the CO & SO.– will advise on exploitation and resolve conflicts of interest