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Dr. Jose Munoz-Munoz

I'm a Senior Lecturer in Industrial Biocatalysis at Northumbria University in Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom. In this website you will find information about my research activities and university teaching, as well as PhD and other research projects opportunities.

Please feel free to drop me a line if you have any queries. Thank you.

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I joined Northumbria University in March 2018 after serving at Newcastle University as Researcher Associate in the Institute of Cell and Molecular Biosciences. My PhD was conducted in University of Murcia (Spain) understanding the kinetic mechanism and structural apparatus of polyphenol oxidases, which are the enzymes involved in the enzymatic browning of fruits and vegetables.

During my academic career I have obtained a few awards and fellowships such as FPU for PhD studies, from Spanish Ministry of Education and Science or an ERC postdoctoral contract in Newcastle University. I was also awarded the Juan Abello I Prize for the best PhD in Biochemistry in Spain in 2012 organized by the Royal Spanish Academy of Doctors. Currently, I am interested in the enzymology of several microorganisms (bacteria, fungi and microalgae) to convert waste materials, such as food waste or wastewater, into bioenergy molecules. In the lab, we understand the behaviour of glycoside hydrolases, including cellulasases, LPMO, xylosidases or endo-mannanases, to deconstruct biomass into bioethanol and other hydrocarbon molecules. In addition, we are interested into the wastewater bioremediation through the use of enzymes as biocatalysts, including polyphenol oxidases and laccases. Finally, we are interesting in the biohydrogen production by these microorganisms and its biological storage.

RESEARCH INTERESTS:

Carbohydrate active enzymes; Bioenergy molecules; Biohydrogen; Renewable Energy; Renewable Fuels; Waste-to-Energy; Biomass pretreatment; Laccases; Carbon capture.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS:

  1. Fernandez-Julia, P.; Tudela-Serrano, J.; Garcia-Molina, F.; Garcia-Canovas,F.; Garcia-Jimenez, A.; Muñoz-Muñoz, J. (2021) Study of tyrosine and dopa enantiomers as tyrosinase substrates initiating L- and D-melanogenesis pathways. Biotechnol. Appl. Biopchem. doi: 10.1002/bab.1998.

  2. Manzano-Nicolas, J.; Marin-Iniesta, F.; Taboada- Rodriguez, A.; Garcia-Canovas, F.; Tudela-Serrano, J; and Muñoz-Muñoz, J. (2020) Kinetic characterization of the oxidation of catecholamines and related compounds by laccase. Int. J. Biol. Macromol. 164:1256-1266.

  3. Manzano-Nicolas, J.; Marin-Iniesta, F.; Taboada- Rodriguez, A.; Garcia-Canovas, F.; Tudela-Serrano, J; and Muñoz-Muñoz, J. (2020) Development of a method to measure laccase activity on methoxyphenolic food ingredients and isomers. Int. J. Biol. Macromol. 151:1099-1107.

  4. Zolghadri, S.; Bahrami, A.; Hassan Khan, M.T.; Munoz-Munoz, J.; Garcia-Molina, F.; Garcia-Canovas, F. and Saboury, A.A. (2019). A comprehensive review on tyrosinase inhibitors, Journal of Enzyme Inhibition and Medicinal Chemistry 34, 279-309.

  5. Ndeh, D.; Muñoz-Muñoz, J.L.; Cartmell, A.; Bulmer, D.; Wills, C.; Henrissat, B.; Gray, J. (2018). The human gut microbe Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron encodes the founder member of a novel glycosaminoglycan-degrading polysaccharide lyase family PL29. J. Biol. Chem. 293(46):17906-17916.

  6. Garcia-Jimenez, A.; Garcia-Molina, F.; Teruel-Puche, J.A.; Saura-Sanmartin, A.; Garcia-Ruiz, P.A.; Ortiz-Lopez, A.; Rodriguez-Lopez, J.N.; Garcia-Canovas, F.; Munoz-Munoz, J.L. (2018). Catalysis and inhibition of tyrosinase in the presence of cinnamic acid and some of its derivatives. Int. J. Biol. Macromol. 119, 548-554.

  7. Muñoz-Muñoz, J.L.; Cartmell, A.; Terrapon, N.; Henrissat, B. and Gilbert, H.J. (2017) An evolutionarily distinct family of polysaccharide lyases removes rhamnose capping of complex arabinogalactan proteins. J. Biol. Chem. 292 (32) 13271-13283.

  8. Muñoz-Muñoz, J.L.; Cartmell, A.; Terrapon, N.; Henrissat, B. and Gilbert, H.J. (2017).  Unusual active-site location and catalytic apparatus in a glycoside hydrolase family. Proc Natl Acad Sci 114 (19) 4936-4941.

PhD STUDENT SUPERVISION:

Pedro Fernendez-Julia. Understanding the gut microbiota metabolism to exploit new glucosidases enzymes. Support: Industrial funding from Quorn Foods.

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