VTT researchers find enzymes from micro-organisms found in tropical fires resist high temperature process

In Finland, micro-organisms found in the wildfire-prone dry tropical forests of India are an exciting prospect for biochemical production, as they are accustomed to the challenging conditions following a forest fire. The enzymes they produce are likely to also have a higher-than-normal resistance to the substances released from biomass in high-temperature industrial processes. An EU and nationally funded project led by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, called IndZyme, is looking to study whether they are capable of breaking down agricultural waste better than commercial enzymes.