<p><i>S. elongatus</i> is a species of cyanobacteria, which have long been considered promising candidates for microbial cell factories. They rely on a cost-effective minimal growth requirement; CO2, light, water, and minimal nutrients. Their photosynthetic nature also makes them an attractive green option for the atmospheric reduction of CO2 on top of biosynthesis of the proteins of interest. S. elongatus also possesses a high salt and metal tolerance, allowing them to be the optimum chassis for microbial remediation. We hope to improve its bioremediative ability by engineering it to express homologous ligninolytic isozymes characterized in other species.</p>
<h5>Enzymes</h5>
<p>Laccases (Lac) belong to the enzyme family of multi-copper oxidases (MCOs) and can be obtained from a wide variety of species such as bacteria <ahref="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enzmictec.2022.109999"><sup>[11]</sup></a>, brown and white-rot fungi (Heinzkill et al., 1998), and various plant and algae species <ahref="https://doi.org/10.1186/s12934-019-1248-0"><sup>[2]</sup></a>. Together with lignin peroxidase (LiP) and manganese peroxidase (MnP), this enzyme combination has displayed the ability to catalyze the breakdown of various inorganic and organic substances such as wood, plastic, paint, and jet fuel into nutrients in many species (Viswanath et al., 2014), and have been proven to be the main enzymes responsible for catalyzing the degradation of MB <ahref="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enzmictec.2022.109999"><sup>[11]</sup></a>.</p>
<p>Laccases (Lac) belong to the enzyme family of multi-copper oxidases (MCOs) and can be obtained from a wide variety of species such as bacteria <ahref="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enzmictec.2022.109999"><sup>[11]</sup></a>, brown and white-rot fungi, and various plant and algae species <ahref="https://doi.org/10.1186/s12934-019-1248-0"><sup>[2]</sup></a>. Together with lignin peroxidase (LiP) and manganese peroxidase (MnP), this enzyme combination has displayed the ability to catalyze the breakdown of various inorganic and organic substances such as wood, plastic, paint, and jet fuel into nutrients in many species (Viswanath et al., 2014), and have been proven to be the main enzymes responsible for catalyzing the degradation of MB <ahref="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enzmictec.2022.109999"><sup>[11]</sup></a>.</p>
