Enzyme technology for the sustainable production of health-related prebiotic sugars

Biosciences are evolving as key areas of science and technology and are seen as important factors for future economic growth. Enzyme technology, or more specifically biocatalysis, is an increasingly essential part of this scientific domain, frequently crossing the borderlines between biology, chemistry and reaction engineering. Enzyme technology can be seen as the application of enzymes – either isolated or within the microbial cell – in the production of goods and services. The overall aim of this project is to establish close EU-ASEAN research co-operation and tight research co-operation within ASEAN for the development of innovative strategies (processes), based on a thorough exploitation of natural and genetically engineered biodiversity with regard to efficient enzyme biocatalysts, that lead to high value-added and health-related products derived from natural, renewable resources (specifically, the milk sugar lactose and copra mannan) and that are applicable in both human nutrition and animal feed. These examples should serve as a knowledge base for biocatalytic process development in general, for the firm establishment of the multidisciplinary knowledge and methodology within the partnership, to profit from the strength and know-how of the co-operating partner(s), so that other, more diverse processes will result in the future from the multidisciplinary scientific network(s) established.