MATE4MEAT partners presented two abstracts at PROTEINE 2026 — “Structural and Functional Characterization of Proteins and Their Modulation,” held 20–22 May 2026 at the Fisciano Campus, University of Salerno.

The first, “Engineered Hydrophobin–Laccase Chimeras for Enhanced Enzymatic Functionalization of Cellulose in Active Packaging,” was developed by UNINA together with Ankara University and Alter Eco Pulp. The work presents an enzymatic strategy for functionalising cellulose surfaces, combining the native laccase POXA1b with its engineered chimeric variant Vmh2–POXA1b to anchor phenolic compounds — recovered from agro-industrial by-products such as olive pomace, spent coffee grounds and citrus peels — onto cellulose, improving its hydrophobic and antioxidant properties for food packaging applications.

The second, “Surface Functionalization of Biodegradable Polymeric Materials Using Engineered Adhesive–Antimicrobial Proteins,” was developed by UNINA together with Universitat Jaume I. It explores engineered adhesive–antimicrobial chimeric proteins that combine a hydrophobin adhesive domain with antimicrobial peptides, enabling stable, functional antimicrobial coatings on biopolymer surfaces such as PHAs, with results demonstrating effective adhesion, modulation of surface wettability, and antimicrobial activity against target strains.

Both abstracts are available open-access on our Zenodo community.