Phytoene desaturase (lycopene-forming) Phytoene desaturase (lycopene-forming) Phytoene desaturase (lycopene-forming) (CrtI, "four-step phytoene desaturase") (, "15-cis-phytoene:acceptor oxidoreductase (lycopene-forming)") are enzymes found in archaea, bacteria and fungi that are involved in carotenoid biosynthesis. They catalyze the conversion of colorless 15-"cis"-phytoene into a bright red lycopene in a biochemical pathway called the poly-trans pathway. The same process in plants and cyanobacteria utilizes four separate enzymes in a poly-cis pathway. Bacterial phytoene desaturases were shown to require FAD as a cofactor for their function. During the chemical reaction in total four additional double bonds are introduced into phytoene: In 2000 it was discovered that the gene insertion
Alumina effect pigment Alumina effect pigment An alumina effect pigment is a pearlescent pigment based on alumina (aluminium oxide). In the first step of the production process, AlO (Aluminium oxide) flakes with a very smooth surface are formed. The flakes are produced using a crystal growth process. They are formed in the corundum structure (α-AlO). The desired flake shape is achieved by controlled crystal growth in the axial and equatorial directions. The color purity and transparency of the effect pigments obtained by coating the AlO flakes with metal oxides can be attributed to the synthesis procedure yielding single-crystalline thin flakes The coating of