The current search for environmentally friendly methods for waste disposal, detoxification, and alternative fuel sources, among others, filamentous fungi have become useful tools for the development of novel industrial bioprocesses. Their morphological and cell wall properties confer adequate characteristics suitable for large-scale culture environments that increase productivity. Still, the size of mycelial clumps has to be minimized in order to increase mass transfer efficiency. Characterization of candidate proteins associated to granulation of the white-rot fungi Phanerochaete chrysosporium, will serve as a starting point for the optimization of fermentation cultures of this microorganism. The proposed method of protein analysis is by SDS-PAGE electrophoresis that will show candidate differentially expressed enzymes that will be further analyzed for identification and manipulation. On the following semester, the proteomic analysis will be performed and analysed in order to identify the increase in expression of certain proteins. Once this work is done, further analyses include protein characterization, pellet size optimization, and kinetic assays, if neccesary. This characterization will provide important information necessary for a highly efficient and cost effective scaled-up bioprocess for P. chrysosporium harvesting.
White-rot fungi Phanerochaete chrysosporium
