Research Interests

Enzymatic deconstruction of lingocellulosic biomass

Renewable hydrocarbon biofuels using consolidated bioprocessing

Enzyme engineering and catalytic mechanisms

Macromolecular X-ray crystallography

Biochemical characterization of enzymes

Education

Ph.D., Biochemistry, University of Oulu, Department of Biochemistry, Oulu, Finland, 2008

M.S., Biochemistry, University of Oulu, Department of Biochemistry, Oulu, Finland, 2001

Professional Experience

Research Scientist, NREL, Biosciences Center, 2011–present

Postdoctoral Researcher, NREL, Biosciences Center, 2008–2011

Biochemistry Research Assistant, University of Oulu, Department of Biochemistry, Oulu, Finland, 2000–2001

Featured Work

Revealing Nature's Cellulase Diversity: The Digestion Mechanism of Caldicellulosiruptor bescii CelA, Science (2013)

The Structure and Mode of Action of Caldicellulosiruptor bescii Family 3 Pectate Lyase in Biomass Deconstruction, Acta Crystallographica (2013)

Discrete and Structurally Unique Proteins (Tāpirins) Mediate Attachment of Extremely Thermophilic Caldicellulosiruptor Species to Cellulose, Journal of Biological Chemistry (2015)

The Unique Binding Mode of Cellulosomal CBM4 from Clostridium thermocellum Cellobiohydrolase A, Journal of Molecular Biology (2010)

Atomic Resolution Crystallography of a Complex of Triosephosphate Isomerase with a Reaction-Intermediate Analog: New Insight in the Proton Transfer Reaction Mechanism, Proteins (2010)

View all NREL Publications for Markus Alahuhta.