After two years of intensive work, EnXylaScope consortium is proud of the results reached until now and has the highest expectations for the two years ahead.

EnXylaScope turns two years old. The project has delivered exceptional results with significant immediate or potential impact. The results of the first review by the European Commission highlight this according to the deleverables and reports presented. The project has sufficiently progressed and presents significant results that will have a high impact potential moving into the next reporting period. Ground work already performed is very promising for achieving the expected impact and outcomes in a holistic manner over the next reporting periods.

During this first reporting period efficient HT screening protocols have been developed and tested for GH115 alpha glucuronidase and alpha L arabinofuranosidase.

Moreover, sequence data and cloned libraries from newly processed environmental samples have generated sequence dataset, together with other existing and new datasets, to be used in sequence-based enzyme discovery, and cloned libraries to be used in functional screening activities.

A protocol for xylan extraction and purification from three different feedstocks’ has been obtained, aimed towards optimisation of xylan extraction for high degree of polymerisation for hardwood, cereals, and grasses including parameters such as time, temperature and alkali concentration.  In parallel, the work to design prediction algorithms for designing feedstock and specific enzyme cocktails has begun.

The acceptance of consumers of the products that will be produced using the enzymatically-modified xylan developed is of the utmost importance. To this aim an online survey has been designed to gather information about consumer motives and attitudes and will be distributed in the following months.

As the project progresses the dissemination, communication and business aspects are taking relevance in order to transfer knowledge to scientific community and pave the way for future exploitation of the outcomes.

Last but not least, appropriate measures and strategies have been developed and agreed on issues around IPR, dissemination, stakeholders’ engagement and an Advisory Board was formed to aid project’s alignment with the current market.

The challenges for the next two years are huge and exciting and the planning for facing these challenges will be discussed in the next General Assembly in Lund, Sweeden the 23rd-24th of May, which will bring theEnXylaScope partners together again.