Design and directed evolution of artificial lanthanide enzymes

Microbiology Seminar Series

  • POSTPONED
  • Date: May 15, 2023
  • Time: 01:15 PM (Local Time Germany)
  • Speaker: Prof. Dr. Cathleen Zeymer
  • TUM School of Natural Sciences, Technical University of Munich
  • Location: MPI for Terrestrial Microbiology
  • Room: Lecture Hall / Hybrid
  • Host: Dr. Johannes Rebelein
  • Contact: johannes.rebelein@mpi-marburg.mpg.de

A major challenge in biocatalysis is the development of novel enzymes for reactions beyond nature’s synthetic repertoire. Our approach combines rational design and directed evolution to generate artificial metalloenzymes and photoenzymes. We recently reported a de novo protein scaffold with femtomolar affinity for lanthanide ions. These metal cofactors are not only potent Lewis acid catalysts, some of them also promote photoredox chemistry. We are thus working on the development of artificial lanthanide enzymes, in which reactive radical intermediates are generated upon photoexcitation and then controlled by interactions with the chiral protein environment.


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