Learning from Nature


Microorganisms have had a long time to explore new ways to make and break molecules. The enzymes that perform these reactions can teach us much about catalysis. The molecules that they make could be tomorrow's life saving drugs.



What do we do?
  • Analyze microbial DNA sequences for novel enzyme genes.
  • Produce enzymes to study their mechanisms.
  • Determine the structures of enzymes by X-ray crystallography.
  • Synthesize enzyme substrates.
  • Engineer enzymes to change their function or study their mechanism.
  • Genetically manipulate biosynthetic and biodegradative pathways.
  • Culture bacteria to produce enzymes or natural products.

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 Organophosphonate Degradation
Microorganisms have gone to great lengths to sequester inorganic phosphate. What new enzyme reactions have they developed along the way?

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 Halogenases
Overuse of synthetic organohalogens has earned this class of molecule considerable infamy. But nature is equally zealous in its use of organohalogens. What can we learn from the enzymes that introduce halogens into natural products?

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 Natural Product Biosynthesis
Although this field is increasingly neglected by big pharma, a revolution has been ignited by large scale sequencing of environmental DNA. What new molecules (and new drugs) are out there? And what are the interesting enzymes that assemble them?
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