Amylases Engineering for Detergent and Dishwasher Applications

Amylases are essential components in Detergents and Dishwasher Tabs, enabling the low-temperature breakdown of starchy residues. They offer an environmentally friendly alternative to high chemical dispersant usage and energy-intensive hot water washing. However, the performance of commercial Amylases is hindered by poor stain removal efficiency for complex starchy residues (e.g., pasta, rice starch) and rapid loss of activity during long storage periods in highly concentrated liquid detergent formulas (due to high ionic strength and presence of other chemicals).

Our specialized enzyme engineering services are dedicated to creating next-generation Amylases. Our core objectives include: significantly increasing stability in liquid detergent formulas (e.g., high ionic strength, pH extremes); enhancing activity and binding affinity to complex, dried starch stains; and improving stability against common chelating agents and bleach systems. Consult with our experts to design a customized strategy that ensures superior stain removal and extended shelf life for your detergent product.

Challenges in Detergent Amylase Performance

The maximum performance of Amylases in household and industrial cleaning is limited by the following factors:

• Low Liquid Stability: Enzymes often denature rapidly during storage in highly concentrated liquid detergent formulas due to high ionic strength, pH fluctuations, and the presence of surfactants.
• Inefficient Stain Removal: Amylases struggle to effectively hydrolyze complex, dried, and heat-set starch residues (like rice or potato starch) on dishware or fabrics.
• Susceptibility to Chelating Agents: Common detergent additives like EDTA or DTPA can strip the required calcium ions, leading to enzyme destabilization and activity loss.
• Bleach Sensitivity: Loss of activity in cleaning products containing peroxides or bleach components, requiring costly encapsulation or separation.

Our engineering platforms are dedicated to resolving these complex formulation and stain-removal challenges.

Engineering Focus: Formula Stability and Stain Affinity

We apply integrated protein engineering strategies to enhance your target Amylase:

Enhanced Liquid Formula Stability

             

Using stability engineering to increase conformational rigidity and resistance to high salt concentrations and surfactants.

Stain Binding Affinity Enhancement

Engineering the enzyme surface and substrate channel to enhance the initial KM and binding affinity to complex, insoluble starch residues.

Chelant and Bleach Resistance

Rational modification of calcium-binding sites to retain metal ions in the presence of strong chelating agents or protect residues from oxidative damage.

Low-Temperature Activity

Optimizing catalytic activity to maintain high efficiency even during energy-saving cold water washing cycles.

Our experts are ready to apply these integrated capabilities to achieve superior stain removal at lower temperatures and extended product shelf life.

Technology Platforms for Amylase Engineering

We leverage a suite of cutting-edge platforms to deliver highly functional enzyme variants:

Computational Rational Design (CARD)

Using structural modeling to design stabilizing mutations around the calcium-binding sites and surface loops for liquid formula robustness.

Directed Evolution for Detergent Stability

We employ HTS platforms optimized to screen large libraries for enzyme variants that maintain activity after prolonged incubation in commercial liquid detergent matrices.

AI-Guided Novel Amylase Discovery

We leverage AI-driven sequence mining to find thermophilic or alkaliphilic Amylase starting points with inherent high stability.

Stain Removal and Stability Profiling

We offer full stability profiling, including half-life measurement in proprietary detergent formulas and testing against standardized starch stains.

Integrated Enzyme Production

Specialized custom production services to achieve high yield and purity, suitable for direct incorporation into industrial detergent manufacturing processes.

Partner with us to harness these platforms for next-generation stain removal performance.

Project Flow: Amylase Optimization Workflow

Our enzyme optimization projects follow a flexible, milestone-driven workflow:

• Consultation and Goal Definition: Initial discussion to define the stability target (e.g., 90% residual activity after 6 months in formula) and the type of starch stain to be targeted.
• Design Strategy Proposal: We propose a tailored strategy involving Rational Design (for calcium binding) and/or Directed Evolution (for stability), outlining the predicted timeframe.
• Library Construction and Screening: We execute mutagenesis and employ HTS platforms using high-viscosity starch substrates or detergent-stress conditions to identify lead variants.
• Iterative Optimization & Profiling: Successive rounds of evolution focus on maximizing both activity and stability against the specified pH, temperature, and chemical matrix.
• Final Deliverables: Delivery of the final Amylase variant along with detailed kinetic, pH/thermal stability, and commercial formulation compatibility reports.

Technical communication is maintained throughout the project. We encourage potential clients to initiate a consultation to discuss their specific detergent formula challenges and explore how our technologies can achieve superior performance.

We provide comprehensive support, including:

• Detailed Kinetic Data, Thermal and pH Stability Profiles, and Residual Activity Reports in proprietary formulas.
• Consultation on stability improvements, including potential formulation tweaks to maximize enzyme longevity.
• Experimental reports include complete raw data on mutagenesis libraries, HTS screening results, and stain removal efficacy testing.