May 8, 2017, MONDAY (10:30 – 11:30 am), Institute of Biology, UP Diliman, Room 117 — IB Seminar: 

Discovery, screening, and characterization of secreted enzymes from fungal endophytes

by Eizadora Yu, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Institute of Chemistry, University of the Philippines Diliman

Fungal endophytes colonize intercellular spaces in higher plants without causing overt symptoms to the host plant. The symbiotic relationship appears to be rooted in the ability of the fungi to use lignocellulosic biomass as a carbon source and provide bioactives for plant defense. These organisms with their ecologically unique lifecycle, represent a promising unexplored niche, and as such is a potentially valuable source of enzymes for many industrial applications. Progress in our bioprospecting and enzyme characterization efforts will be discussed, with focus on carbohydrate-active enzymes and oxidative enzymes found in the fungal secretomes.