Cloning, expression and characterization of xylanases from Paenibacillus sp. isolated from landfill leachate

In landfills, buried plant biomass are often degraded by soil microorganisms using enzymes. These enzymes, collectively termed as lignocellulases, can be useful tools to improve various processes in the industry. Although the application of these enzymes has been practiced, there are always discoveries of new enzyme strains with undescribed properties from nature. In particular, the specific adaptations to the landfill environment (e.g. wide pH fluctuations, substrate scarcity) remains largely unknown. This project describes the isolation of lignocellulose-degrading bacteria from a local landfill site, its subsequent genome sequencing, gene cloning and characterization of the attributes of the produced enzymes.