High-Powered Cleaners Inspired by Enzymes

An illustration of an enzyme binding to another molecule

Innovation: Industry

Sudoc

Image: National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences / Flickr / Public Domain - No restrictions

Chemically Break Down Inorganic Compounds

Chemically Break Down Organic Compounds

The vast majority of biochemical assembly and breakdown processes–even by the most complex organisms–occur within cells. In fact, cells are able to perform hundreds, even thousands of chemical transformations at the same time under life-friendly conditions (ambient temperature and pressure in an aqueous environment). Part of the reason that decomposition reactions (chemical breakdown) can occur under such mild conditions is because most often, they occur in a stepwise, enzyme-mediated fashion, sipping or releasing small amounts of energy at each step. For example, the breakdown of glucose to pyruvate–and the release of energy–occurs in the 10-step enzyme catalyzed process of glycolysis.

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Catalyze Chemical Breakdown

Life depends upon the building up and breaking down of biological molecules. Catalysts, in the form of proteins or RNA, play an important role by dramatically increasing the rate of a chemical transformation––without being consumed in the reaction. The regulatory role that catalysts play in complex biochemical cascades is one reason so many simultaneous chemical transformations can occur inside living cells in water at ambient conditions. For example, consider the 10-enzyme catalytic breakdown and transformation of glucose to pyruvate in the glycolysis metabolic pathway.

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Protect From Chemicals

Chemicals are everywhere in the bodies of living organisms and their external environments. While most chemicals are valuable or benign, some are toxic, including those used for defense (such as the mucus that protects clownfish from an anemone’s stinging tentacles). Even naturally-occurring chemicals, such as arsenic, must be managed to reduce their impact. Some living systems have strategies to break down harmful chemicals, alter them into less toxic forms, physically prevent chemicals from harming sensitive tissues, and more. For example, some herbivorous mammals can digest toxic compounds in plants because they have a particular enzyme that helps them process poisonous plant compounds.

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Sudoc uses enzyme-inspired catalysts to rapidly break down toxins and complex chemicals in the environment, and then break down themselves as well.

Benefits

Quickly self-decomposing
No elemental toxicity

Applications

Toxin remediation
Decomposition
Cleaning
Pharmaceutical disposal

UN Sustainable Development Goals Addressed

Goal 3: Good Health & Wellbeing
Goal 6: Clean Water & Sanitation
Goal 11: Sustainable Cities & Communities
Goal 12: Responsible Production & Consumption
Goal 14: Life Below Water
Goal 15: Life on Land

The Challenge

Many chemicals that are useful in controlled ways (such as pharmaceuticals) are detrimental in the open environment, affecting the systems of living beings, decreasing fertility, increasing diseases states, and impacting behavioral development. There are over 350,000 chemicals in common usage, and this volume creates a chemical burden that impacts everyone.

Innovation Details

Sudoc’s enzyme-inspired catalysts (called “New TAML” for “tetra-amido macrocyclic ligand”) speed up chemical reactions when paired with oxidants like hydrogen peroxide, from which it steals an oxygen atom and delivers it to oxidize the target. This mimics the way peroxidase enzymes work in our bodies.

These powerful reactions can effectively break down a wide variety of disease-causing pathogens, as well as thousands of harmful drugs, pesticides, dyes, and other industrial products that contaminate our land and water supplies. Sudoc’s chemistry requires far fewer chemicals than traditional environmental cleaning processes, and is designed to break down quickly and naturally, so that it does not remain active in the environment.

Biological Model

Enzymes keep organisms clean by checking out everything that’s made it inside them and breaking it down for use or removal.

Oxidative enzymes are tools that usher oxygen atoms to break down complex molecules through oxidation, and convert them into forms the organism can handle. Enzymes make oxidation reactions work more quickly and efficiently. This transforms food into nutrients, and harmful chemicals into harmless byproducts.

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a metal rode has green and orange oxidation against a blurry background

Biological Strategy

Enzymes Reduce Toxicity of Arsenic and Selenium

Bacteria

Enzymes produced by Bacillus selenitireducens use molybdenum to lower the toxicity of dissolved, oxidized forms of arsenic and selenium.

3d image of blue enzymes against black background

Biological Strategy

Enzyme Oxidizes Fat-soluble Organic Chemicals

Common to all organisms

The metabolism of animals oxidizes fat-soluble organic chemicals into excretable water-soluble substances, via P450 enzymes.

Ray of Hope Prize®

The Ray of Hope Prize celebrates nature-inspired solutions addressing the world’s biggest environmental and sustainability challenges. Created in honor of Ray C. Anderson, founder of Interface, Inc. and a business and sustainability leader, the $100,000 Ray of Hope Prize helps startups cross a critical threshold in becoming viable businesses by amplifying their stories and providing them with equity-free funding. The prize shines a light on the innovative, nature-inspired solutions that we need to build a sustainable and resilient world. Sudoc was selected as a finalist for the 2022 Ray of Hope Prize.

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