ABSTRACT
The search for new enzymes for industrial application has increased with the demand for environmentally friendly industrial processes. 4This is particularly true for lipolytic enzymes (lipases and esterases), which are among the most used enzymes in biocatalytic processes. However, current enzymes often do not have optimal characteristics for applications. The use of metagenomic-based techniques has been successful in finding genes that encode for new enzymes, particularly lipases, that present high activity, stability in organic solvents, thermostability, and selectivity. Here we present the basic concepts of metagenomics and a case study of a metagenomic library that was constructed from a fat-contaminated soil sample and led to the isolation and characterization of new lipases, LipC12, LipG9, and LipMF3, which are highly active, stable, and potentially useful enzymes.
