Chitosan is a polysaccharide found in abundance in shrimp
shell. The current extraction methods involve the use of strong
acids and alkalis, these substances are dangerous wastes that can
compromise the integrity of soil and water where they are
disposed.
Due to its stability and biocompatibility, chitosan
has been widely used in pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetic
industries, among many others. The Chitosan global market has an
estimated value of $20 billion USD. Particularly, the
pharmaceutical industry represents on average 1.2% of total GDP
in Mexico and has grown at a 10% rate since 2008.
Therefore, it is imperative to develop a new and
efficient extraction process, that is also eco-friendly. We’ve
developed a new process that consists in the pretreatment of
shrimp shells, followed by a fermentation in which it is
demineralized and deproteinized by B. subtilis. Finally, it goes
through a deacetylation process in a fermentation performed by
our genetically modified E. coli strain. This modified bacterium
contains 6 different enzymes that are found naturally in
microorganisms that are capable of cutting and deacetylating
chitin for the generation of chitosan. The action of these
enzymes and a careful temperature treatment will allow us to
generate chitosan with a 90% deacetylation degree. This
deacetylation
degree is the required one by the pharmaceutical industry, our
target market.
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