Biomass Valorization Services
Enzymatic Hydrolysis Process Optimization
Develop and qualify enzymatic hydrolysis processes that convert lignocellulosic and protein-rich feedstocks into higher-value.
What This Service Covers
Enzymatic hydrolysis uses hydrolytic enzymes such as cellulases, hemicellulases, and proteases to cleave complex biopolymers into simpler compounds by adding water across chemical bonds. Because the reaction runs under mild conditions, it preserves product integrity and reduces the environmental burden associated with harsh acid or alkaline routes, which is why industries ranging from food and feed to biofuel production increasingly adopt it to raise yield and specificity.
Our service is built for teams that already hold a feedstock and need a defensible process around it. We characterize the substrate, select and dose the enzyme system, map pH and temperature windows, and quantify hydrolysis performance so you can decide whether to scale, blend, or reformulate. The work is scoped case by case against your target hydrolyzate, whether that is a fermentable sugar stream, a functional protein hydrolysate, or a bioactive peptide fraction. Every project closes with a QC and verification package covering the hydrolyzate, so yield and specificity metrics are documented against the agreed acceptance criteria.
Substrate Characterization and Pretreatment
Hydrolysis efficiency depends on how accessible the substrate is to the enzyme. We assess composition and physical form, then define a pretreatment route such as grinding or milling before hydrolysis.
- Composition and carbohydrate or protein profiling of the incoming biomass
- Grinding or milling to a defined particle range before reaction
- Pretreatment screening aligned to the target hydrolyzate
Enzyme Selection and Dosage Optimization
Enzyme choice and loading drive both conversion and specificity. We screen candidate enzymes and dose them on an activity basis so results are comparable across batches.
- Candidate enzymes such as cellulases, hemicellulases, and proteases
- Dosing expressed on activity units per gram of substrate
- Single-enzyme and cocktail comparisons under matched conditions
The service maps pH, temperature, and hydrolysis time as interacting control windows.
Each enzyme has an operating window. We map pH and temperature against hydrolysis time to find conditions that maximize conversion without denaturing the catalyst.
- pH and temperature response mapping per enzyme system
- Hydrolysis time profiles to a defined endpoint
- Controlled inactivation to stop the reaction reproducibly
Parameters We Optimize
Optimization is a multivariate problem: enzyme type, dosage, pH, temperature, substrate loading, and reaction time interact, and changing one shifts the others. We use structured experimental designs so the effect of each factor and its interactions can be separated rather than inferred from one-factor-at-a-time trials.
The table below summarizes the parameters typically varied in a project and the kind of scope each one carries. Exact levels, ranges, and replication are defined in the project statement of work after the substrate and target product are confirmed.
| Parameter | What We Vary | How It Is Measured | Typical Project Scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enzyme type | Cellulases, hemicellulases, proteases, and defined cocktails | Hydrolysis degree and target-compound release | Screening panel sized to the substrate and target product |
| Enzyme dosage | Activity loading per gram of substrate | Conversion versus dose curves | Dose range bracketed around the working optimum |
| pH | Buffered ranges matched to each enzyme | Activity retention and product profile | Window mapped per enzyme system |
| Temperature | Sub-optimal to near-denaturation conditions | Initial rate and thermal stability | Operating window defined with a safety margin |
| Hydrolysis time | Time-course sampling to plateau | Degree of hydrolysis and reducing sugars | Endpoint selected against your productivity target |
| Substrate loading | Solids or protein concentration in the reactor | Viscosity, mixing, and inhibition effects | Loading range tested for scalability |
How a Project Runs
Engagements follow a staged path from substrate intake to a documented, transferable process. Each stage produces defined outputs so you can review progress before the next phase begins.
Substrate intake and characterization
We log your feedstock, assess composition and physical form, and agree the target hydrolyzate and the acceptance criteria the process must meet.
Pretreatment and enzyme screening
The substrate is prepared by grinding or milling as needed, then candidate enzymes are screened for activity and specificity against the target bonds.
Parameter optimization
Enzyme dosage, pH, temperature, and hydrolysis time are varied in a structured design, with hydrolysis degree and reducing sugars tracked as responses.
Hydrolyzate recovery and analysis
The reaction is stopped by controlled inactivation, and the hydrolyzate is separated or purified as required, then analyzed for composition and target-compound content.
Where Optimization Pays Off
Enzymatic hydrolysis is applied across very different product goals, and the optimization target changes with each one. The examples below reflect common project types; the specific enzyme system and conditions are always set by the substrate and the product you need.
Because the reaction is specific, it can be tuned to release one class of compound while leaving others intact, which simplifies downstream purification compared with non-specific chemical routes.
Fermentable Sugar Streams
Lignocellulosic residues and carbohydrate-rich byproducts can be hydrolyzed to sugars and then fermented. Published work on argan pulp, for example, reports high saccharification yields using Viscozyme L and Celluclast 1.5 L followed by fermentation with Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
- Saccharification of agricultural and food-processing residues
- Sugar streams prepared for subsequent fermentation steps
- Enzyme cocktails matched to the biomass recalcitrance
Protein Hydrolysates and Peptides
Proteases such as Alcalase and trypsin cleave proteins into peptides and free amino acids, altering solubility, emulsification, and foaming behavior. Response-surface studies on soy protein isolate illustrate how enzyme-to-substrate ratio, pH, and temperature jointly set the degree of hydrolysis.
- Degree-of-hydrolysis targets set by functional requirement
- Enzyme-to-substrate ratio, pH, and temperature optimization
- Hydrolyzate profiling for peptide size and composition
Valorization of Process Residues
Residues from food, agricultural, and marine processing are frequently rich in carbohydrates or proteins that can be recovered as higher-value fractions. Hydrolysis converts these streams into soluble products while reducing the organic load sent to waste treatment.
- Screening of residues for recoverable carbohydrate or protein
- Conversion of solid residues into soluble hydrolyzates
- Fractionation options such as ultrafiltration and gel purification
Service Scope
Scope is defined case by case after we review your substrate, target product, and analytical requirements. The table below describes the parameters that can be customized and the kind of scope each typically carries; the agreed values are fixed in the project statement of work.
If a parameter is not listed, it can still be discussed during scoping. We would rather define a realistic experimental plan with you than commit to conditions that the substrate cannot support.
| Parameter | Typical Project Scope | Deliverable | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Substrate pretreatment | Grinding or milling to a defined particle range, as required | Pretreatment record and prepared substrate | Route selected against substrate form and target product |
| Enzyme selection | Screening panel of candidate enzymes and cocktails | Ranked enzyme options with activity data | Panel sized to the substrate and target bonds |
| Dosage optimization | Activity-based dose range bracketed around the working optimum | Dose-response curves and recommended loading | Expressed per gram of substrate for comparability |
| Window mapped per enzyme system with a stability margin | Operating window and control setpoints | Confirmed against thermal stability data | |
| Hydrolysis time | Time-course sampling to a defined endpoint | Time profile and selected reaction endpoint | Endpoint balanced against productivity target |
| Downstream handling | Inactivation, separation, and purification as required | Recovered hydrolyzate and processing notes | Options include ultrafiltration and gel purification |
| Analytics and QC | Degree of hydrolysis, reducing sugars, and product profiling | Analytical dataset and method descriptions | Methods documented for transfer to your laboratory |
| Technical support | A named scientific contact is assigned at project start, with milestone review calls and email response within 1 business day. | Milestone review summaries | Single point of scientific contact throughout |
Why Teams Work With Us
Optimization projects fail when conditions are chosen by habit rather than by data. Our approach keeps the experimental design, the analytical evidence, and the process recommendation connected, so the conditions you scale are the conditions that were actually tested.
We also keep the boundary between what was demonstrated and what is projected explicit. Where a result comes from published work on a comparable substrate, we say so; where it comes from your own trials, it is reported as measured.
Structured Experimental Design
Multivariate designs let us separate the effect of enzyme dose, pH, temperature, and time instead of testing them one at a time, which shortens the path to a defensible optimum.
- Response-surface and factorial designs where appropriate
- Interaction effects captured, not just main effects
- Replication built in to support reproducibility claims
Analytics Tied to the Decision
Every optimization run is judged against measurable responses such as degree of hydrolysis, reducing sugar concentration, or target-compound release, so the recommendation is traceable to data.
- Hydrolysis degree and reducing sugar quantification
- Product profiling to confirm specificity
- Analytical methods documented for transfer
Process Documentation and Handover
The output is a process you can run again. Conditions, analytical methods, and scale-up considerations are written up so your team can reproduce the result internally.
- Documented conditions and control setpoints
- Analytical method descriptions for your laboratory
- Scale-up notes covering mixing and viscosity effects
Applications and Feedstocks
The same optimization framework applies across carbohydrate-rich and protein-rich feedstocks, but the enzyme system and the analytical endpoint differ. The table below maps common application areas to the hydrolysis goal and the typical analytical focus.
Feedstocks outside this list are routinely considered during scoping; the deciding factors are the target compound and whether a suitable enzyme activity exists for the bonds that need to be cleaved.
| Application Area | Typical Feedstock | Hydrolysis Goal | Analytical Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bioethanol and bioenergy | Lignocellulosic residues and carbohydrate-rich byproducts | Release of fermentable sugars | Saccharification yield and reducing sugars |
| Functional food ingredients | Protein isolates and plant proteins | Controlled protein breakdown to peptides | Degree of hydrolysis and peptide profile |
| Bioactive peptides | Protein-rich processing streams | Release of specific peptide fractions | Fraction composition after purification |
| Residue valorization | Agricultural and food-processing byproducts | Conversion of residues into soluble fractions | Recovered fraction yield and composition |
What You Receive
Deliverables are defined in the statement of work and scale with the scope you select. A typical project produces a prepared and characterized substrate record, a ranked set of enzyme options with activity data, optimized reaction conditions with supporting response data, and a recovered hydrolyzate sample with its analytical profile.
Where downstream processing is in scope, you also receive the separation or purification record and the analytical methods used, written so they can be repeated in your own laboratory.
Getting Started
Scoping begins with a short technical discussion about your feedstock, the product you want, and the analytical criteria that will define success. From there we propose an experimental plan with defined stages, decision points, and deliverables.
If you already have hydrolysis data, share it. Existing results often let us narrow the screening space and focus the optimization on the parameters that are actually limiting conversion.
FAQ
How do you decide which enzyme system to use?
Enzyme selection follows the bonds that need to be cleaved and the product you want. For carbohydrate-rich biomass we screen cellulases and hemicellulases; for protein substrates we screen proteases such as Alcalase or trypsin. Candidate enzymes are compared under matched conditions on an activity basis, and the ranked results are shared before a final system is recommended.
Can you work with a feedstock that has not been pretreated?
Yes, but pretreatment is usually part of the plan. Physical preparation such as grinding or milling increases the accessible surface area and is commonly the first step before hydrolysis. The pretreatment route is selected against your substrate form and target product, and its effect is measured rather than assumed.
How is hydrolysis performance measured?
Performance is judged against measurable responses agreed at scoping. Common endpoints include degree of hydrolysis for protein substrates and reducing sugar concentration for carbohydrate substrates, supported by product profiling to confirm that the intended compounds are being released. The analytical methods used are documented so they can be repeated in your laboratory.
Do you handle downstream steps such as purification or fermentation?
Downstream handling can be included in scope. Typical options include controlled enzyme inactivation to stop the reaction, separation or purification of the hydrolyzate by routes such as ultrafiltration or gel purification, and preparation of a sugar stream for subsequent fermentation. Which of these are included is fixed in the statement of work.
What happens if the target conversion is not reached?
Optimization is an experimental program, and results depend on the substrate and the enzyme activities available for it. If the agreed target is not reached under the tested conditions, we report the measured performance, identify the limiting factors observed in the data, and propose the next experimental options for your review before any further work is committed.
What degree of hydrolysis can be expected from an optimized protein hydrolysis?
The achievable degree of hydrolysis depends on the substrate, the enzyme, and the conditions, so it is set as a project target rather than promised in advance. For context, published response-surface work on soy protein isolate reports predicted degrees of hydrolysis of about 16% with Alcalase and about 20% with trypsin under their optimized conditions; these are literature values for that substrate and are not a projected outcome for your process.
References
- Sigüenza-Andrés T, Pando V, Gómez M, et al. Optimization of a Simultaneous Enzymatic Hydrolysis to Obtain a High-Glucose Slurry from Bread Waste. Foods (Basel, Switzerland). 2022;11(12). View on PubMed
- Joyjamras K, Chaotham C, Chanvorachote P. Response surface optimization of enzymatic hydrolysis and ROS scavenging activity of silk sericin hydrolysates. Pharmaceutical biology. 2022;60(1):308-318. View on PubMed
- Zeghlouli J, Christophe G, Guendouz A, et al. Optimization of Bioethanol Production from Enzymatic Treatment of Argan Pulp Feedstock. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland). 2021;26(9). View on PubMed
- Wang M, Cui H, Gu C, et al. Engineering All-Round Cellulase for Bioethanol Production. ACS synthetic biology. 2023;12(7):2187-2197. View on PubMed
- Wang Z, Wang Q, Jin Y, et al. Optimization of Bear Oil Extraction Process and Hair Growth Activity. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland). 2024;29(6). View on PubMed
- Wei K, Wei Y, Zhou P, et al. Preparation, Characterization, and Antioxidant Properties of Selenium-Enriched Tea Peptides. Foods (Basel, Switzerland). 2023;12(22). View on PubMed
Scope Your Hydrolysis Project
Send us your feedstock details and target hydrolyzate, and we will propose an experimental plan with defined stages, analytical endpoints, and deliverables for your review.