{"id":{"repo_id":"utc","oai_identifier":"oai:scholar.utc.edu:theses-2227"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/utc/oai:scholar.utc.edu:theses-2227","repository":{"repo_id":"utc","name":"University of Tennessee - Chattanooga","base_url":"https://scholar.utc.edu/do/oai/"},"display":{"title":"Optimizing xylitol production: a molecular and experimental study of xylose reductase in Candida tropicalis","abstract":"Xylitol, a naturally occurring sugar alcohol, is widely used in the food and pharmaceutical industries as both an artificial sweetener and an anticariogenic agent. Traditional xylitol production relies on harsh chemicals and energy-intensive processes, making microbial fermentation a more sustainable alternative. This study explores the ability of Candida tropicalis to convert D-xylose into xylitol through the enzyme xylose reductase, with a focus on optimizing pH conditions to enhance conversion efficiency. To achieve this, both experimental fermentation and computational molecular dynamics simulations using GROMACS and the pHbuilder tool are employed. By analyzing the enzyme’s stability and structural dynamics across different pH levels, this research aims to improve xylitol yield while minimizing environmental impact. The findings contribute to advancing green chemistry principles and industrial bioprocess engineering, offering a cleaner, more efficient approach to xylitol production.","abstract_html":"Xylitol, a naturally occurring sugar alcohol, is widely used in the food and pharmaceutical industries as both an artificial sweetener and an anticariogenic agent. Traditional xylitol production relies on harsh chemicals and energy-intensive processes, making microbial fermentation a more sustainable alternative. This study explores the ability of Candida tropicalis to convert D-xylose into xylitol through the enzyme xylose reductase, with a focus on optimizing pH conditions to enhance conversion efficiency. To achieve this, both experimental fermentation and computational molecular dynamics simulations using GROMACS and the pHbuilder tool are employed. By analyzing the enzyme’s stability and structural dynamics across different pH levels, this research aims to improve xylitol yield while minimizing environmental impact. The findings contribute to advancing green chemistry principles and industrial bioprocess engineering, offering a cleaner, more efficient approach to xylitol production.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Neal, Zackery"],"institution":"University of Tennessee at Chattanooga","degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Harris, Bradley","Kode, Venkateswara; Turgeson, Andrew","College of Engineering and Computer Science"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":null,"date_issued":"","date_published":null,"updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:47:28Z","subjects":["Candida tropicalis--Genetics","Fermentation--Industrial applications","Xylitol--Biotechnology"],"languages":["English","eng"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholar.utc.edu/theses/1042","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Harris, Bradley","Kode, Venkateswara; Turgeson, Andrew","College of Engineering and Computer Science"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Neal, Zackery"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date","label":"Dc Date","values":["2025-12-01T08:00:00Z"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["University of Tennessee at Chattanooga","Chattanooga (Tenn.)"]},{"key":"dc:relation","label":"Dc Relation","values":["Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Masters theses","Text"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Candida tropicalis--Genetics","Fermentation--Industrial applications","Xylitol--Biotechnology"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["English","eng"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholar.utc.edu/theses/1042"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["Dept. of Engineering","M. S.; A thesis submitted to the faculty of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Science."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Xylitol, a naturally occurring sugar alcohol, is widely used in the food and pharmaceutical industries as both an artificial sweetener and an anticariogenic agent. Traditional xylitol production relies on harsh chemicals and energy-intensive processes, making microbial fermentation a more sustainable alternative. This study explores the ability of Candida tropicalis to convert D-xylose into xylitol through the enzyme xylose reductase, with a focus on optimizing pH conditions to enhance conversion efficiency. To achieve this, both experimental fermentation and computational molecular dynamics simulations using GROMACS and the pHbuilder tool are employed. By analyzing the enzyme’s stability and structural dynamics across different pH levels, this research aims to improve xylitol yield while minimizing environmental impact. The findings contribute to advancing green chemistry principles and industrial bioprocess engineering, offering a cleaner, more efficient approach to xylitol production."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Optimizing xylitol production: a molecular and experimental study of xylose reductase in Candida tropicalis"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Harris, Bradley","Kode, Venkateswara; Turgeson, Andrew","College of Engineering and Computer Science"],"dc:creator":["Neal, Zackery"],"dc:date":["2025-12-01T08:00:00Z"],"dc:description":["Dept. of Engineering","M. S.; A thesis submitted to the faculty of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Science."],"dc:description.abstract":["Xylitol, a naturally occurring sugar alcohol, is widely used in the food and pharmaceutical industries as both an artificial sweetener and an anticariogenic agent. Traditional xylitol production relies on harsh chemicals and energy-intensive processes, making microbial fermentation a more sustainable alternative. This study explores the ability of Candida tropicalis to convert D-xylose into xylitol through the enzyme xylose reductase, with a focus on optimizing pH conditions to enhance conversion efficiency. To achieve this, both experimental fermentation and computational molecular dynamics simulations using GROMACS and the pHbuilder tool are employed. By analyzing the enzyme’s stability and structural dynamics across different pH levels, this research aims to improve xylitol yield while minimizing environmental impact. The findings contribute to advancing green chemistry principles and industrial bioprocess engineering, offering a cleaner, more efficient approach to xylitol production."],"dc:identifier":["https://scholar.utc.edu/theses/1042"],"dc:language":["English","eng"],"dc:publisher":["University of Tennessee at Chattanooga","Chattanooga (Tenn.)"],"dc:relation":["Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations"],"dc:rights":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"dc:subject":["Candida tropicalis--Genetics","Fermentation--Industrial applications","Xylitol--Biotechnology"],"dc:title":["Optimizing xylitol production: a molecular and experimental study of xylose reductase in Candida tropicalis"],"dc:type":["Masters theses","Text"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:47:28Z"}