Adrian Tsang, PhD

Ed

Research interests

The sustainable conversion ofrenewable bioresources (e.g, plant-derived biomass) to valued chemicals and productsremains one of the key challenges in the transition from fossil fuel to greeneconomies. Microorganisms, in particular fungi, are efficient decomposers ofplant-derived biomass. They produce extracellular enzymes to breakdown or transformplant biomass. Filamentous fungi also produce a wide array of metabolites, someof which, such as citric acid and antibiotics, have found uses in food andpharmaceutical industries. We use genomic and ancillary approaches to identify andproduce enzymes involved in biomass conversion as well as metabolites withpotential application in human and animal health. Our research includes:sequence, assemble and annotate genomes of filamentous fungi; functional analysisof previously uncharacterized proteins; identification and production ofenzymes with biomass conversion or antimicrobial activities; analysis of gutmicrobiomes of livestock animals to improve gut health; and development offungal platforms for the biomanufacturing of extracellular enzymes andmetabolites.  

1.        Demirci E, Arentshorst M, Yilmaz B, Swinkels A, Reid I, Visser J,Tsang A, Ram A (2021) Genetic Characterization of Mutations Related toConidiophore Stalk Length Development in Aspergillus niger Laboratory StrainN402. Frontiers in Genetics. 12. 666684. 10.3389/fgene.2021.666684.

2.        Arentshorst M, Falco M, Moisan M-C, Reid I, Spaapen T, Dam J,Demirci E, Powlowski J, Punt P, Tsang A, Ram A (2021). Identification of aConserved Transcriptional Activator-Repressor Module Controlling the Expressionof Genes Involved in Tannic Acid Degradation and Gallic Acid Utilization inAspergillus niger. Frontiers in Fungal Biology. 2. 681631.10.3389/ffunb.2021.681631.

3.        Evdokias G, Semper C, Mora-Ochomogo M, Falco M, Nguyen M,Savchenko A, Tsang A, Benoit Gelber I (2021) Identification of a NovelBiosynthetic Gene Cluster in Aspergillus niger Using Comparative Genomics.Journal of Fungi. 7. 374. 10.3390/jof7050374.

4.        Naik S, Tsang A, Shaanker RU, Dayanandan S. Genome SequenceResource of Bacillusvelezensis EB14, a Native Endophytic BacterialStrain with Biocontrol Potential Against the Poplar Stem Canker CausativePathogen, Sphaerulina musiva. Phytopathology. 2021 Apr 1:PHYTO09200433A.doi: 10.1094/PHYTO-09-20-0433-A. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33263425.

5.        Reijngoud J, Arentshorst M, Ruijmbeek C, Reid I, Alazi ED, Punt PJ,Tsang A, Ram AFJ. Loss of function of the carbon catabolite repressor CreAleads to low but inducer-independent expression from the feruloyl esterase Bpromoter in Aspergillus niger. Biotechnol Lett. 2021 Mar 18. doi: 10.1007/s10529-021-03104-2.Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33738610.

6.        Naik S, Palys S, diFalco M, Tsang A, Périnet P, Ramanan U,Dayanandan S (2021) Isolation and characterization of Bacillus velezensis EB14,an endophytic bacterial strain antagonistic to poplar stem canker pathogenSphaerulina musiva and its interactions with the endophytic fungal microbiomein poplars. 10.1094/PHYTOFR-10-20-0023-R.

7.        Ouedraogo J-P, Tsang A (2021). Production of Native andRecombinant Enzymes by Fungi for Industrial Applications. 10.1016/B978-0-12-819990-9.00046-9.

8.        Brar KK, Raheja Y, di Falco M, Tsang A, Chadha BS (2021) Novelβ-glucanases along with xylanase identified in Thermomyces lanuginosus secretome for enhanced saccharification ofdifferent lignocellulosics. Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery.

9.        Almeida H, Palys S, Tsang A, Diallo AB (2020) TOUCAN: a frameworkfor fungal biosynthetic gene cluster discovery. NAR Genomics andBioinformatics. Vol2, No.4

10.    Ouedraogo JP, Tsang A (2020) CRISPR-Cas systems for fungal research.Fungal Biology Review 34:189-201.

11.    Raheja Y, Kaur B, Falco M, Tsang A, Chadha BS (2020) Secretome analysis of Talaromycesemersonii reveals distinct CAZymes profileand enhanced cellulase production through response surface methodology.Industrial Crops & Products. 152, 112554.

12.    van Leeuwe TM, Arentshorst M, Forn-Cuní G, Geoffrion N, Tsang A,Delvigne F, Meijer AH, Ram AFJ, Punt PJ (2020) Deletion of the Aspergillusniger Pro-Protein Processing Protease Gene kexB Results in apH-Dependent Morphological Transition during Submerged Cultivations andIncreases Cell Wall Chitin Content. Microorganisms. 8(12):E1918. doi:10.3390/microorganisms8121918. PMID: 33276589.

13.    Palys S, Pham TTM, Tsang A. (2020) Biosynthesis of alkylcitric acids in Aspergillus niger involves both co-localized and unlinked genes.Frontiers in Microbiology 11:1378

14.    Dilokpimol A, Peng M, DiFalco M, Woeng TCA, Hegi RMW, Granchi Z,Tsang A, Hildén KS, Mäkelä MR, de Vries RP. (2020) Penicillium subrubescens efficientlyadapts its enzyme production to the composition of plant biomass. BiotechnologyResource. 311: DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2020.123477

15.    Dilokpimol A, Verkerk B, Bellemare A, Lavallee M, Frommhagen M,Underlin E, Kabel M, Powlowski J, Tsang A, de Vries R. (2020). Characterizationof new fungal carbohydrate esterase family 1 proteins leads to the discovery oftwo novel dual feruloyl/acetyl xylan esterases. Biotechnology and Biofuels. DOI:10.21203/rs.3.rs-17222/v1

16.    Ribeiro GO, Gruninger RJ, Jones DR, Beauchemin KA, Yang WZ, WangY, Abbott DW, Tsang A,McAllister TA. (2020) Effect of ammonia fiber expansion-treated wheat straw anda recombinant fibrolytic enzyme on rumen microbiota and fermentationparameters, total tract digestibility, and performance of lambs. J Anim Sci. 98(5). pii: skaa116. doi: 10.1093/jas/skaa116.

17.     van Leeuwe TM, Wattjes J, Niehues A, Forn-Cuní G, GeoffrionN, Mélida H, Arentshorst M, Molina A, Tsang A, Meijer AH, Moerschbacher BM,Punt PJ, Ram AFJ (2020) A seven-membered cell wall related transglycosylase gene family in Aspergillusniger is relevant for cell wall integrity in cell wall mutants with reducedα-glucan or galactomannan. The Cell Surface, 100039.10.1016/j.tcsw.2020.100039.

18.     Rai R, Basotra N, Kaur B, DiFalco M, Tsang A, Chadha BS.(2020) Exoproteome profile reveals thermophilic fungus Crassicarponthermophilum (strain 6GKB; syn. Corynascus thermophilus) as a rich source ofcellobiose dehydrogenase for enhanced saccharification of bagasse. Biomass andBioenergy. 132. 105438. 10.1016/j.biombioe.2019.105438.

19.    van Erven G,Kleijn AF, Patyshakuliyeva A, Di Falco M, Tsang A, de Vries RP, van Berkel WJH, Kabel MA. (2020) Evidencefor ligninolytic activity of the ascomycete fungus Podospora anserina. Biotechnology and Biofuels. April 16, 13:75. doi:10.1186/s13068-020-01713-z.

20.    Bastos RW, Valero C, Silva LP, Schoen T, Drott M, Brauer V, Silva-Rocha R, Lind A, Steenwyk J, Rokas A, Rodrigues F, Lagrou K, Marcet-Houben M,  GabaldónT, McDonnell E, Reid I,Tsang A, Oakley BR, Loures FV, Almeida F,Huttenlocher A, Keller NP, RiesLNA, Goldman GH (2020) Functional characterization of Aspergillus nidulans clinical isolates.mSphere, April 8, 5(2). pii: e00153-20. doi: 10.1128/mSphere.00153-20.

21.    Fejes B, Ouedraogo JP, Fekete E, Sándor E, Flipphi M, Soós Á,Molnár ÁP, Kovács B, Kubicek CP, Tsang A, Karaffa L. (2020) The effects ofexternal Mn2 concentration on hyphal morphology and citric acid production aremediated primarily by the NRAMP-family transporter DmtA in Aspergillus niger.Microb Cell Factory January 30, 19(1):17. doi: 10.1186/s12934-020-1286-7.

22.    Agrawal D, Basotra N, Balan V, Tsang A, Chadha BS. (2020) Discoveryand Expression of Thermostable LPMOs from Thermophilic Fungi for ProducingEfficient Lignocellulolytic Enzyme Cocktails. Appl Biochem Biotechnol. 191:463-481