Zak Towle
PhD Student
Hello, my name is Zak Towle.
I obtained my MBiol in Biotechnology and Microbiology from the University of York in 2017 and am currently studying for a PhD in Quantitative Biology, Biochemistry and Biotechnology funded by EASTBIO.
My hobbies include playing computer games and hiking and I am avid follower of cricket and Manchester United.
Public Abstract
Lignocellulose is a waste product of the agriculture industry and is often used as animal feed, burnt or left to rot in-field. The aim of my work is to use a component of lignocellulose, lignin, as a feedstock to create an array of useful and sustainable chemicals which are currently derived from petrochemicals.
Scientific Abstract
My PhD is titled “Enhancing the enzymatic degradation of lignocellulose” and is currently concerned with the targeting of lignin for enzymatic degradation. The lignin is primarily pre-treated and fractionated prior to enzymolysis with laccases and peroxidases derived from white-rot fungi. The lignin fractions as well as the enzymatic breakdown products are then analysed via techniques including FT-ICR MS and NMR.