Diversifying enzymes for greener consumer products: the OXIPRO project

Harnessing novel oxidoreductases for more environmentally friendly consumer products

Lesley Tobin, REDINN

As consumer awareness of environmental issues grows, so too does the demand for greener alternatives in everyday products. OXIPRO, an ambitious €6M project funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, is at the forefront of this movement. By harnessing the power of novel oxidoreductases, a class of enzymes, OXIPRO aims to revolutionise industries ranging from textiles and detergents to nutraceuticals and cosmetics, offering more sustainable and eco-friendly solutions.

Why greener products matter

The environmental crisis is more pressing than ever, with climate change threatening ecosystems, economies and lives. Consumers are becoming increasingly conscious of their personal impact on the environment, and many are willing to invest in greener products. According to recent studies, 61 per cent of European consumers are concerned about their carbon emissions and the overall state of the environment. These consumers are especially focused on the sustainability of household detergents, cosmetics, food and clothing.

This growing concern has created a market demand for environmentally friendly products, with 50 per cent of European consumers willing to pay more for greener alternatives. In response, industries are now under pressure to innovate and offer sustainable options. OXIPRO’s mission is to provide these industries with tools to reduce their environmental footprint while maintaining, and even enhancing, product quality.

The power of enzymes: introducing oxidoreductases

At the heart of OXIPRO’s work lies the development of oxidoreductases— enzymes that catalyse oxidation- reduction reactions, often using oxygen as an electron acceptor. These enzymes offer a sustainable alternative to traditional chemicals in various industrial processes. By reducing the need for harsh oxidisers, cutting energy consumption and facilitating water reuse, oxidoreductases present a game-changing solution for greener manufacturing.

Potential benefits of oxidoreductases:

Reduction in energy consumption during production
Replacement of harmful oxidisers and acids
Transformation of waste into valuable byproducts
Enhancement of product quality, durability and appearance
Decrease in the environmental footprint of consumer goods.

Despite their immense potential, oxidoreductases remain underutilised in many industries. OXIPRO aims to unlock their full potential by fast-tracking the discovery and development of new oxidoreductase enzymes tailored to specific industrial needs.

Aims and objectives of OXIPRO

OXIPRO’s primary goal is to create greener solutions across various industries by harnessing the power of oxidoreductases. The project focuses on four key sectors:

Sunscreens: Traditional sunscreens contain chemicals that harm marine ecosystems. OXIPRO aims to replace these harmful ingredients with natural alternatives, supporting the health of marine environments.
Detergents: Many current detergents rely on chemicals for hygienisation, especially at low washing temperatures. OXIPRO is developing enzyme-based detergents that clean effectively at low temperatures, reducing energy consumption while avoiding the use of harsh chemicals.
Home textiles: The textile industry is notorious for its environmental impact, particularly in terms of water usage, chemical pollutants and energy consumption. OXIPRO’s enzymes are designed to target key stages in textile production, allowing for water reuse and significant reductions in energy and chemical inputs.
Nutraceuticals: A significant portion of raw materials from fish filleting processes go to waste. OXIPRO’s enzymes can transform this waste into odourless, high-quality fish protein supplements, contributing to the development of circular, bio-based value chains.

Challenges and opportunities in enzyme development

While the potential benefits of using enzymes like oxidoreductases are clear, their widespread adoption in industrial processes is not without challenges. Developing new enzymes is a time-consuming and costly endeavour. Screening for effective enzymes can take up to 15 months and cost as much as €30 000. Furthermore, the lack of automation and comprehensive technology modelling impedes scalability, making it difficult for enzymes to transition from the lab to commercial production.

Another significant challenge lies in regulatory and safety concerns. Many current regulations were designed with traditional chemical products in mind, meaning that new enzyme- based solutions may not meet existing standards. This is particularly true in the case of disinfectants, where current regulations favour chemical solutions with fast-acting results, even though enzyme-based solutions may provide more sustainable, long-lasting effects.

Collaborative efforts: partners and sister projects

To overcome these challenges, OXIPRO brings together a multidisciplinary team of researchers and stakeholders from 15 entities across 11 European countries.

This collaborative effort, coordinated by Dr Gro Bjerga of the NORCE Norwegian Research Centre, ensures that the project benefits from a wide range of expertise in areas such as:

responsible research and innovation
sustainability and circularity
high-performance enzyme-related computing
enzyme discovery and development
consumer product manufacturing

In addition to its core team, OXIPRO closely collaborates with three sister projects funded under the same call:

EnXylaScope: This project focuses on discovering enzymes that can debranch xylan, an abundant polymer in plants, to create a valuable ingredient for consumer products.
FuturEnzyme: A fast-track platform for discovering and optimising enzymes for textiles, detergents and cosmetics.
Radicalz: This project aims to develop faster and more versatile tools for enzyme discovery, enabling the creation of new formulations and ingredients for greener products.

Together, these projects form a knowledge-sharing ecosystem that maximises research efficiency and industry alignment.

Circular economy: a core principle of OXIPRO

Central to OXIPRO’s mission is its commitment to the circular economy. Throughout the project, the partners are assessing the environmental impact, carbon footprint and carbon handprint of their work. By doing so, they ensure that their innovations contribute to food and nutrient security, climate change mitigation and Europe’s competitiveness in sustainable development.

The project also emphasises the importance of water reuse and biomass recycling in industrial processes. By diversifying the range of enzymes available, OXIPRO hopes to reduce the energy, water and chemical consumption of various industries, further supporting the transition from a linear to a circular economy.

Innovation case study: revolutionising laundry hygiene

One of OXIPRO’s most promising innovations is its work developing enzyme-based laundry detergents. Traditional detergents rely on a combination of chemicals to remove stains and disinfect fabrics, but these chemicals can harm aquatic ecosystems and leave residues on clothing. Moreover, with washing machines increasingly designed to operate at lower temperatures to save energy, many detergents are less effective at killing bacteria.

OXIPRO’s solution involves the use of alditol oxidases, a class of enzymes capable of producing hydrogen peroxide from glycerol, a common detergent ingredient. Hydrogen peroxide is a powerful disinfectant, and OXIPRO has developed a variant of the enzyme AldoTf that can generate hydrogen peroxide at just 30°C, making it ideal for low- temperature washing.

This breakthrough not only promises to revolutionise household laundry hygiene but also represents a significant step toward greener cleaning solutions.

However, the enzyme-based approach faces challenges in meeting current disinfection standards, which were developed with chemical disinfectants in mind. OXIPRO is working to inform these standards to recognise the efficacy of slower- acting, enzyme-based solutions.

Toward a greener future

The OXIPRO project is a testament to the power of biotechnology in driving sustainability. By developing enzyme-based technologies for greener consumer products, OXIPRO is helping reshape industries and provide eco-conscious consumers with better options. However, for these solutions to reach their full potential, regulatory frameworks must evolve to accommodate new, sustainable technologies.

As the world shifts towards greener, more efficient technologies, enzyme-based solutions will play an increasingly important role in shaping the future of consumer products. OXIPRO’s work is not just about improving specific products but also about contributing to the overall sustainability and competitiveness of the European bio-based economy.

“Environmental concerns of consumers are a strong driver for investigating new solutions to promote sustainability in the production and formulation of products. Knowing how enzymes can cut energy, water, and chemical consumption is encouraging us to explore new enzyme types for use in consumer products. We believe that this will not only provide better product options but also stimulate long-term competitiveness in the industry and create new jobs for Europe.”

DR GRO BJERGA
Scientific Leader of the Marine Biotechnology group at NORCE and OXIPRO

PROJECT NAME

OXIPRO

PROJECT SUMMARY

OXIPRO is developing sustainable, enzyme- based solutions for greener consumer products in four sectors: detergents, textiles, sunscreens and nutraceuticals. By harnessing oxidoreductases, a versatile unexploited class of enzyme, its technologies promise to reduce energy, water, and harsh chemical use, enhancing product quality while minimising environmental impact and upcycling waste into valuable products, driving the transition to a circular, eco-friendly economy.

PROJECT PARTNERS

NORCE, Norway (Project Coordinator)
VTT, Finland
LEITAT, Spain
Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Spain Barcelona Supercomputing Center, Spain Calyxia, France

Gecco Biotech BV, Netherlands Zorluteks, Türkiye

Rolco, Greece Novonesis, Denmark Redinn, Italy

Biocatalysts Ltd, United Kingdom Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, Netherlands SB Science Management UG, Germany CRB, Netherlands

PROJECT LEAD PROFILE

Dr Gro Bjerga, the OXIPRO Project Coordinator at NORCE Norwegian Research Center AS, has a distinguished career in marine biotechnology and enzyme development. Specialising in enzyme discovery, protein production and bioprospecting, Dr Bjerga’s research focuses on creating biotechnological solutions for the bio-based marine industry. With expertise in optimising enzymes for industrial applications, she leads projects using advanced molecular biology techniques, including recombinant cloning, heterologous protein expression and enzyme activity assays. Her work is instrumental in driving innovation for greener, more sustainable industrial processes.