2.1. To determine the structures of new enzymes from GH1 beta-glucosidases/transglucosidases in order to explain the structural basis for the unique properties of these enzymes.
2.2. To determine the thermodynamics of binding of oligosaccharide and other substrates and mechanism-based inhibitors to beta-glycosidase and/or transglycosidase enzymes and assess the ligand functional groups and enzyme residues responsible for these interactions.
2.3 To explain the difference between plant GH3 exoglucanases and ?-xylosidases.
2.4. To explain the structural basis of TxGH116 beta-glucosidase binding of oligosaccharides to allow engineering of the enzyme for better biomass conversion and to better model substrate-enzyme interactions in this family.
2.5. To engineer the TxGH116 beta-glucosidase to improve glucose tolerance for effective hydrolysis of oligosaccharides in biomass conversion.
2.6. To functionally characterize a new GH116 enzyme from a eukaryotic or bacterial system for possible structural studies (if significantly different from the TxGH116 enzyme).
