Mannanases Engineering for Enhanced Gum Stain Removal in Detergents

Mannanases are crucial performance enzymes in Detergents, specializing in the effective removal of gum stains derived from food and cosmetic thickeners (e.g., guar gum, locust bean gum). These enzymes provide an eco-friendly and mild alternative to harsh strong chemical solvents. However, commercial Mannanases face challenges including inefficient removal of highly substituted mannan chains, low activity at consumer washing temperatures (cold water cycles), and limited stability in complex liquid detergent matrices.

Our specialized enzyme optimization services are focused on creating Mannanase variants with superior cleaning power. Our core objectives include: improving activity against highly substituted mannan chains for complete stain breakdown; enhancing stability against the chemical stress of the detergent matrix; and optimizing low-temperature performance to meet modern cold-water washing demands. Consult with our experts to design a customized strategy that ensures comprehensive stain removal and prolonged product shelf life.

Challenges in Detergent Mannanase Performance

The maximum efficacy of Mannanases in laundry and dishwashing applications is limited by the following technical barriers:

• Substrate Recalcitrance: Inefficient hydrolysis of highly substituted mannan chains, where galactose side groups block enzyme access, leading to incomplete stain removal.
• Low Cold Activity: Most native Mannanases are kinetically slow at typical consumer washing temperatures (15°C to 30°C), negating their cleaning benefit in energy-saving cold cycles.
• Formulation Instability: Enzyme activity rapidly declines during storage in liquid detergent formulas due to the presence of surfactants, proteases, and high ionic strength.
• High Dosage Requirement: The need for a high enzyme concentration to achieve a fast and effective stain removal effect, increasing the product formulation cost.

Our engineering platforms are dedicated to resolving these complex performance and formulation challenges.

Engineering Focus: Cold Activity and Substrate Specificity

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

Activity Against Substituted Chains

             

Using active site engineering to accommodate or bypass the galactose side chains on mannan, improving efficiency on guar and locust bean gum.

Optimized Low-Temperature Performance

Enhancing enzyme flexibility and catalytic rate to ensure superior performance and stain degradation even at cold water washing temperatures.

Enhanced Stability in Detergent Matrix

Implementing advanced stability engineering to protect the enzyme from inactivation by proteases and surfactants during long-term storage.

Increased Catalytic Efficiency

Maximizing the enzyme's turnover number (kcat) to achieve effective gum stain removal with a lower enzyme dosage, reducing formulation costs.

Our experts are ready to apply these integrated capabilities to achieve Mannanases with next-generation cold activity and detergent stability.

Technology Platforms for Mannanase Engineering

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

AI-Driven Cold-Adapted Discovery

Using AI-guided metagenomic analysis to discover naturally cold-active Mannanase starting points from psychrophilic organisms.

Directed Evolution for Detergent Stability

We utilize HTS platforms optimized to screen for variants that maintain high activity after prolonged incubation in commercial liquid detergent matrices.

Rational Design for Substrate Specificity

Using structural modeling to design mutations that widen the substrate tunnel, improving access to highly substituted mannan chains.

Cold Activity and Stability Profiling

We offer full stability profiling, including half-life measurement in liquid detergent at 4°C and activity testing at 15°C.

Integrated Enzyme Production

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

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

Project Flow: Mannanase 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 liquid formula) and the minimum required activity at 15°C.
• Design Strategy Proposal: We propose a tailored strategy involving Rational Design (for specificity) and/or Directed Evolution (for stability/cold activity), outlining the predicted timeframe.
• Library Construction and Screening: We execute mutagenesis and employ HTS platforms using highly substituted mannan substrates and cold-incubation stress to identify lead variants.
• Iterative Optimization & Profiling: Successive rounds of evolution focus on maximizing both cold activity and stability against the specified temperature, pH, and chemical matrix.
• Final Deliverables: Delivery of the final Mannanase variant along with detailed kinetic, thermal stability, cold activity, 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 Cold Activity 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 gum stain removal efficacy testing.