Chinese scientists find novel proteases that can be used for gelatin preparation

Gelatin is a hydrolyzed form of collagen, widely used across more than 30 industries, including medicine, food, textiles, chemicals, electronics, paper, and printing. Traditionally, gelatin has been produced using chemical methods. However, with advances in enzyme research and the development of green technologies, enzymatic preparation has emerged as a promising alternative. Recently, a research team led by Song Wei from the Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, discovered a novel protease through metagenomic sequencing of soil samples. This enzyme was optimized for use in the enzymatic production of gelatin, marking a significant step forward in the field. The new protease-based method offers great potential for resource efficiency and environmental protection. It is also compatible with existing bone processing and gelatin extraction equipment, meaning that traditional facilities can be quickly adapted to use enzymatic processes without requiring additional specialized machinery. This makes it easier to scale up production and improve overall efficiency. Despite these benefits, the process still needs continuous optimization. China’s traditional bone gelatin industry is largely concentrated in regions with abundant bone resources, such as Inner Mongolia, Qinghai, and Gansu. However, these areas often face water shortages, and the traditional production process involves multiple steps like pickling, washing, liming, and neutralization, which require large amounts of fresh water. This has created challenges for the industry, prompting the need for technological innovation. In the 1980s, enzymatic gelatin production began to emerge. This method uses biological enzymes to break down collagen in animal bones or skins, producing gelatin more efficiently. According to Song Song, enzymatic methods can eliminate many of the acid-alkali washing steps, simplify the process to a one-step reaction, and reduce freshwater usage by over 90%. It also saves energy and reduces the use of harmful reagents. Moreover, this approach shortens the production cycle, minimizes environmental pollution, and supports automation and higher product quality, making it a key trend in modern gelatin production. However, there are still challenges with current enzymatic methods. Proteases derived from sources like animal organs, papaya, or pineapple often suffer from contamination and high energy consumption. Their stability and activity levels are also low, and they are easily affected by hydrolyzates, leading to loss of function. Additionally, the specificity of the resulting collagen hydrolysate is not always optimal, which affects the final gelatin quality. The need for manual pH adjustments during the process further limits its widespread adoption. To address these issues, researchers at the Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology focused on developing new enzymes for enzymatic gelatin production. They identified genes from extremophilic microorganisms in harsh soil environments, performed molecular modifications, and expressed them in industrial settings. This led to the creation of high-temperature proteases with improved properties. Through screening and testing, the team identified a new protease with superior activity for gelatin preparation. This discovery represents a major breakthrough in making the enzymatic process more efficient, sustainable, and scalable.

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