L-Fucose is also used for treatment of the rare genetic disease leukocyte-adhesion-deficiency. In nature L-Fucose is a scarce monosaccharide; it can be found in marine algae. However, production of 1 kg L-Fucose requires 40 t of brown algae, making this production process very destructive to the marine environment. Furthermore, extraction from brown algae requires organic solvents and involves several processing steps that are based on nocuous chemicals, e.g. lead carbonate and barium. Due to its reliance on chromate as an oxidizing agent, due to the use of halogenated organic compounds as solvents, and due to production of chemical waste in large quantities, this process clearly needs to be improved - not only for environmental reasons.

The Jennewein Biotechnologie GmbH has developed a novel, environmental-friendly proprietary production process for L-Fucose, which only uses non-toxic educts that are licensed for food production. In this process L-Fucose is produced through microbial fermentation. The aim of the project is to develop a cost-effective and competitive total fermentation process for L-Fucose, involving strain optimization via metabolic engineering and using largely available and cheap carbon-sources (e.g. glycerol) as a starting material. Thus, the novel L-Fucose production process is much more environmental-friendly compared to the current process that involves extraction from brown algae and several chemical processing steps. The innovation of the Jennewein Biotechnology GmbH is therefore a significant contribution to the protection of nature and the marine ecosystem in particular.

Project Operation:
Jennewein Biotechnologie GmbH
Maarweg 32
53619 Rheinbreitbach
Telefon     02224  989-4502
info@jennewein-biotech.de
www.jennewein-biotech.de

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