A.BACKGROUND
Biotechnical methods have the potential to offer significant improvements for traditional pulp and paper manufacturing processes due to their specificity and possible environmental advantages. In spite of the substantial commercial advances in biotechnology in the fields of health care, agriculture and textile industry, the use of biocatalysts in the forest industry has developed slowly. This is due to several factors, such as lower value added products in the forest industries, often still higher costs of biocatalysts, and a general lack of biotechnical expertise in the forest industries. General goals of pulp and paper industry today aim at increasing the cost efficiency, developing environmentally benign processes and improving the product quality. Due to the potential of biotechnical methods in the pulp and paper industry, an active search for new biocatalysts is underway in several research organisations worldwide. Especially interesting are organisms which can modify individual wood components (especially lignin and extractives) selectively and specific enzymes acting on various wood components under process conditions. Due to the suitability of the fibre raw materials for biological conversions, a number of biotechnical applications based on bioconversions by whole microbial cells or enzymatic modifications have already been studied and developed up to pilot or industrial production scale. These bioconversions aim at improving the raw material quality and handling, mechanical and chemical pulping and paper manufacturing processes.
Microbial conversions using whole cells are most suited to be utilised either as a pretreatment of the raw material or in the purification of waste waters; as external process steps. The use of selective fungi for the pretreatment of wood chips prior to mechanical or chemical pulping is often referred to as biopulping. The most extensively studied method, the bio-mechanical pulping, has been reported to lead to significant reductions in the energy consumption in mechanical pulping of aspen. This method may still have some negative effects as well, such as yield loss. A biological pretreatment for Kraft or sulphite pulping is attracting growing interest. These methods might facilitate the chemical pulping process and decrease the investment costs. A pretreatment method to reduce the pitch content of sulphite and thermomechanical pulps has also been commercialised.
The presently commercialised enzymatic methods are based on the action of hydrolytic enzymes which act on different polysaccharides or extractives. These include improvement of delignification by hemicellulases, enhancing deinking or runnability of the paper machine by using cellulose and hemicellulose modifying enzymes, as well as reduction of pitch problems by esterases. These enzymatic applications have also been shown to be economically competitive leading to savings in chemical costs. The use of enzymes is, however, still limited due to the often restricted action of these enzymes under the harsh process conditions; high temperature and pH.
The potential new biocatalysts thus include microbial cells and enzymes produced by a variety of micro-organisms. Lignin modifying enzymes, various oxidases, new hemicellulases, native and modified cellulases and enzymes degrading extractives are tools which have a number of potentially interesting applications. Presently, first oxidative enzymes are entering the market. Possible applications of these enzymes include delignification and fibre modification. Advances in genetic engineering allow efficient production of new more stable and efficient catalysts for a number of chemical conversions. Successful implementation of biotechnical methods also requires understanding of their reaction mechanisms and optimised combinations of biological and mechanical or chemical treatments. This research activity focuses on the development of both new biocatalysts and their application processes.
B.OBJECTIVES AND BENEFITS
The main objective of the Action is to promote the development and application of biotechnical methods in pulping, bleaching and paper and board manufacturing processes by increasing knowledge of biocatalysts and their applications. Furthermore, the aim is to critically evaluate the bottlenecks and general applicability of these technologies. Thus, the Action aims at enhancing the competitiveness of the pulp and paper industry by advancing the use of specific and environmentally benign biotechnical methods.
The aims of the Action will be achieved by exchanging research results within European research organisations active in the field and combining this European knowledge in the fields of basic biosciences and their application areas in wood and fibre chemistry and pulp and paper manufacture.
Dissemination focuses in collecting and exchanging general knowledge on basic and applied biotechnology between the scientists and transferring this knowledge to the industry. The action serves as a European cross-scientific activity between the different areas. Dissemination will take place by workshops, seminars and publications.
In this COST Action new biocatalysts and their applications will be studied and developed. The ongoing projects apparently cover various specific areas of biotechnical approaches. This action aims at a concentrated effort in combining this information. Due to the multidisciplinary expertise required in this area, this COST Action would provide new means for exchanging knowledge on a European level.
The benefits of the action can be seen in short and long terms. During the Action dissemination of results on biotechnical know-how to the pulp and paper companies will be ensured through annual workshops and scientific publications. The COST Action provides a forum for the exchange of information between research organisations specialised in biotechnology or pulp and paper technologies. The scientific results of the Action will contribute to the development of new enzymatic processes for the pulp and paper industries, potentially assisting the strive towards more environmentally benign production technologies, chemical and energy savings as well as improvement of the final product quality. Thus, the COST Action will enhance transfer of the latest biotechnical developments and advance the dissemination and implementation of this knowledge to the industry. Adopting new methodologies in long term is important for the competitiveness of the industrial sector in Europe.
C.SCIENTIFIC PROGRAMME
The scientific programme will be divided into three areas which also have strong interactions. These cover basic enzymology and microbiology, as well as their applications in pulping and papermaking. The scientific areas are described in more detail in the following.
Scientific area 1. Development of new biotechnical tools (enzymes and micro-organisms) suitable for pulping and papermaking
There is obviously a growing need for more specific enzyme preparations as well as completely new enzymes. Cellulolytic and hemicellulolytic, as well as some extractives-degrading enzymes are being produced already on an industrial scale. The first commercial oxidative enzymes have been launched. However, in many cases these enzymes represent products of the first generation, not yet optimal with respect to specificity, stability and activity under the rather extreme conditions existing in the mills. The enzymatic treatments are commonly carried out at temperatures below 60øC and at pH levels of 4-8. A need for more extreme enzymes is obvious. Along with traditional screening, methods of protein engineering may allow to design catalysts suitable for use in mill conditions.
The potential of individual or even structurally modified enzymes has not yet been fully exploited in the pulp and paper industry, due to lack of commercial monocomponent enzymes, such as cellulases. Despite of recent advances, the enzymology of lignin is still only partially understood and exploited. On the other hand, the group of oxidative enzymes offer great potential also in other applications. In addition, new enzymes acting on hemicelluloses or extractives would be beneficial. Micro-organisms are used as production hosts, but may also be used for the modification of the raw material prior to chemical or mechanical processing. The scientific area comprises the following topics:
-Oxidative enzymes
-Extractives modifying enzymes
-Carbohydrate modifying enzymes
-Improvement of enzyme properties
-Structure-function studies of enzymes
-New micro-organisms for improvement of raw materials and processes.
Scientific area 2.Mechanisms for the action of biocatalysts on fibre raw materials
Biotechnical methods are today most commonly used to improve the action of chemicals or to replace them. In addition to clear environmental benefits, they often are more specific than traditional chemicals. As a consequence, enzymes can be used to carry out reactions which have not been achieved by chemicals means. The unique and specific action of enzymes also allows to study the effects of certain fibre components on the processing and properties of these raw materials (structure-function studies). Thus, the enzymatic mechanisms are of key importance both in design of new applications and in optimisation and improvement of existing ones. This knowledge can also be exploited as a model for the development of new chemical processes (biomimetic studies). Today, most enzymes have been used to remove some part in the fibre structure for improving fibre processing. Examples are in bleaching, deinking and drainage. New enzymes may also be used to modify the structure or to add new functional groups to fibres. The complexicity of the fibre material sets, however, limits to the action of biochemical catalysts. The inaccessibility and interlinkages of various fibres components (cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin) may restrict their action. Thus, mechanistical studies will bring information on the action of enzymes on molecular (chemical) and macromolecular (fibre) level. This area focuses on topics clarifying the
action mechanisms of biocatalysts on fibres, such as:
-Reaction mechanisms of enzymes on fibres
-Structural modifications of fibre components by biocatalysts
-Comparisons of enzymes and chemicals
-Optimisation of biological reactions
-Biocatalysts in analysis of fibre structure.
Scientific area 3.Application of biocatalysts to improve fibre processing and product quality
In spite of the existing large amount of basic knowledge it has proved to be a difficult task to transform biotechnical knowledge into new processes and products. Only few applications have yet been commercialised. Especially the bleaching process using new oxidative biocatalysts offers improvements for traditional bleaching chemicals. The combination of new enzymatic methods with mechanical or chemical process steps can be used to improve the process economy or to upgrade the fibre properties. New products could be developed based on the specific modifications obtained by enzymatic methods.
The present aims of pulping processes include the improvement of the profitability by decreasing the investment and running costs, improvement of the fibre quality as well as adaptation of the processes to new demands of sustainable development. These aims could be reached by simplifying the processes, by decreasing the consumption of chemicals and energy and by increasing closure of the mills; i.e. decreasing the effluent loadings by using biotechnical treatments. The area includes:
-Biocatalysts for pretreatment of the raw material
-New enzymatic bleaching methods
-Biocatalysts for refining
-Improvement of fibre properties
-Upgrading of recycled fibres
-Enzymatic deinking
-Identification of bottle necks concerning application of biocatalysts in industry.
D.ORGANISATION AND TIMETABLE
D.1.Organisation
The Action will be led by a Management Committee (MC), including the elected Chairperson, Working Group (WG) coordinators and representatives appointed by the Signatories of the MoU. The MC will work out its rule of operation at its first formal meeting in accordance with the existing COST regulations. The MC will meet twice a year to review progress.
The following Working Groups are proposed:
WG 1. Development of new biotechnical tools (enzymes and micro-organisms) suitable for pulping and papermaking
WG 2. Mechanisms for the action of biocatalysts on fibre raw materials
WG 3. Application of biocatalysts to improve fibre processing and product quality
All working groups will elect a Leader who will assist the Chairperson and Vice Chairperson in ensuring that the work is of high standard. The meeting frequency of the working groups will be 1-2 times per year, as decided in the WG's.
During the Action, exchange of scientists between the participating research organisations is encouraged through short-term missions.
The interaction of the action with national and international research programmes, networks and other COST Actions will be ensured by meetings and joint seminars. The links to other existing and starting COST Actions (such as E 14, E 17 and E 20) will be planned.
D.2.Timetable
The duration of the Action is planned for four years. A tentative time table is presented in Table 1 (Appendix 1), and a detailed schedule will be planned at the beginning of the activity.
E.ECONOMIC DIMENSION
The following COST countries have actively participated in the preparation of the Action and expressed their interest in participating in the Action:
Austria
Finland
France
Germany
Hungary
Italy
Netherlands
Norway
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
United Kingdom.
On the basis of the national estimates provided by the representatives of these countries and taking into account the coordination costs to be covered by the COST budget of the European Commission, the overall annual costs of the activities to be coordinated through the Action has been estimated, in 1999, at EUR 10 million. This amounts to approximately EUR 40 million for the duration of the Action. This also includes an estimate of activities on the biotechnical sector. The estimated overall costs will probably increase in the following years due to the increasing interest in this topic.
A list of the interested organisations and institutions is presented in Appendix 2.
F.DISSEMINATION OF RESULTS
As indicated in the timetable, the management committee will organise annual seminars (general or thematic), planned in detail at the start of the Action. These meetings will promote interdisciplinary research in the fields of biotechnology and pulp and paper sciences and technologies. A second year conference could be linked to the 8th International Conference on Biotechnology in the Pulp and Paper Industry to be held in Finland in 2001. Dissemination of research findings in other international conferences will also be encouraged. The Management Committee (or a nominated Dissemination Group) will at the early phase of the action plan activities for publication and exploitation. Results of research carried out by the working groups will be submitted to international scientific journals and reviews.
In addition to conventional scientific articles in professional journals, results of the Action will also be disseminated through the internet. A Website of the Action will be established after the start of the activity. Each participant is expected to provide relevant information to construct a network of www-pages relating to the project. Summaries of the working group meetings and annual seminars will be presented on the web-pages.
The management group will also maintain an active contact with the COST Forestry and Forest Products Technical Committee by:
-attendance of the chairman or his representative at the meetings of the Sector Group on Pulp and Paper
-an annual report through the Sector Group on Pulp and Paper
-contribution to the COST Forestry and Forest Products Technical Committee Activity report.
Cooperation between this COST Action and other Actions (e.g. E 14, E 17 and E 20) will be ensured. Exchange of scientists and joint experimentation will be facilitated within the Action by Short Term Scientific Missions and at least five missions are planned for each year.
Companies expected to be interested are biotechnical companies (producing enzymes and starter strains) as well as pulp and paper manufacturers. At the start of the Action, the MC will ensure the distribution of information by collecting an updated mailing list of companies potentially interested in participation in the Action. Together with the companies and participating research organisations, the MC will critically analyse possible bottlenecks of the technologies and plan future projects and activities.