Brown seaweeds produce complex carbohydrates called fucoidans, which play a role in carbon sequestration and show promise in medical and industrial applications. In his PhD research, Diego Sebastian Reyes Weiss Aviladeveloped new enzymatic tools and extraction methods to better understand and utilize these unique molecules. His work will contribute to both marine science and the future of sustainable seaweed-based technologies.
Fucoidans, produced by brown seaweeds, are a diverse group of fucose-containing sulfated polysaccharides. They are associated with carbon sequestration and are considered promising candidates for therapeutic and industrial applications. However, their structural complexity and the variation caused by geography and seasonality limit our understanding of their ecological role and practical use.
In his PhD thesis, Diego Sebastian Reyes Weiss Avila developed and applied an enzymatic toolbox to process and characterize fucoidans from brown algae. He also introduced new methods for fucoidan extraction and analysis. The research includes the discovery and characterization of novel enzymes involved in the breakdown of sulfated polysaccharides, as well as analytical protocols for studying fucoidans in detail.
He answers four questions about his research:
Why is this research important?
Marine macroalgae (seaweeds) are essential to marine ecosystems and the global carbon cycle. They are also a renewable resource with a long history of human use. Today, seaweeds are used in various industries, and seaweed aquaculture is a growing sector with the potential to support climate change mitigation and adaptation.
What was the goal of the project?
To establish and apply an enzymatic toolbox for the processing and structural characterization of fucoidans from brown seaweeds.
What did you discover?
The extraction conditions for fucoidans are critical for enabling enzymes to recognize and process them. Fucoidans extracted from dried biomass of the giant kelp Macrocystis pyrifera using mild conditions (only water, no acid or heat) yielded a high-quality product. This purified fucoidan was used to screen and identify new enzymes from various marine sources, including free-living marine bacteria and a deep-sea hydrothermal vent metagenome. One enzyme was used to break the fucoidan into smaller fragments, allowing for more detailed structural analysis and new insights into the composition of Macrocystis pyrifera fucoidan.
What impact could your research have?
The results provide new tools and methods that can help future research better understand the role of fucoidans in carbon cycling and support the development of new technologies for seaweed utilization.
about the research:
Diego Sebastian Reyes Weiss Avila
- Education: MSc in Biochemistry, University of Copenhagen
- Hometown: Mexico City, Mexico
- PhD Institution: Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science
- Funding: NMBU and The Research Council of Norway (Norwegian Seaweed Biorefinery Platform)
- Main Supervisor: Prof. Svein Jarle Horn
- Thesis Title: Brown seaweed fucoidans – structure, diversity and enzymatic degradation