Enzyme redesign magnifies rare sugar synthesis

A modified bacterial enzyme can produce the rare sugar nigerose from table sugar. This could provide a cheap and convenient route to make enough nigerose to explore potential applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Nigerose comprises two glucose molecules connected by an oxygen link. Glucose can combine in 11 different ways, some of which are more common in nature, such as a 1,4-linkage found in starch. Others like the 1,3-link in nigerose are much rarer and may lead to useful compounds that aren’t digested.