Cold-Water Protease Variants for Low-Temperature Fabric Cleaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Detergent manufacturers face challenges in delivering consumer-acceptable cleaning and freshness benefits at lower wash temperatures, particularly with the incorporation of proteases in laundry detergent compositions.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating cold water proteases, such as variants of BPN' subtilisin derived from Bacillus lentus, into fabric and home care products, including laundry detergents, to enhance cleaning and freshness through specific amino acid mutations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If traditional proteases are used in laundry detergent compositions, then cleaning of stains is improved, but cleaning and freshness benefits are insufficient at lower wash temperatures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the amino acid sequence of the parent protease through specific substitutions, insertions, and deletions to create cold water active variants. These mutations alter the enzyme's thermal stability and activity profile, enabling effective cleaning at lower temperatures (17°C) while maintaining reliability of cleaning and freshness benefits.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates copies of the parent protease (BPN' subtilisin and subtilisin from Bacillus lentus) with modified amino acid sequences. These copied and mutated enzyme variants retain the core cleaning function while gaining enhanced cold water activity, allowing the same basic enzyme structure to perform effectively at lower temperatures.
2Ease of manufacture
If proteases are incorporated into laundry detergent compositions, then stain cleaning is improved, but consumer acceptable benefits are difficult to deliver at lower temperatures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies protease parameters (amino acid sequence, thermal stability, activity profile) to enable effective performance at lower wash temperatures. This allows detergent manufacturers to produce sustainable, energy-efficient cleaning products that still deliver consumer-acceptable cleaning and freshness benefits, resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture/sustainability and reliability of benefits.
3Reliability
If parent proteases are used, then cleaning function is provided, but whiteness, whiteness perception, and freshness are not improved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes to the protease enzyme structure through specific amino acid mutations that enhance cold water activity. These modified parameters enable the protease to not only maintain cleaning function but also improve whiteness, whiteness perception, and freshness by effectively breaking down protein-based stains at lower temperatures where traditional proteases are less effective.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Improves cleaning efficacy and freshness perception by utilizing proteases with tailored mutations, addressing the challenges of sustainability and consumer demands for effective low-temperature wash performance.
Implementation Method 1
Detergent manufacturers incorporate proteases into their products to provide good cleaning of stains
Data Source
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AI summary
This invention relates to fabric and home care products comprising one or more cold water proteases and processes for making and using such products. Such compositions provide improved cleaning and freshness. Such cold water proteases may be derived from parent enzymes, including BPN' subtilisin and subtilisin derived from Bacillus lentus, by substitution, insertion and/or deletion of one or more of the parent enzymes' amino acids.