Dr. Uwe Bornscheuer presents Enzyme Discovery and Engineering to Create Biocatalysts Suitable for Applications

Queen’s Chemistry Seminar Series

Thursday, November 10^th, 9:30 am, Rm 117, Chernoff Hall

Enzyme Discovery and Engineering to Create Biocatalysts Suitable for Applications

Uwe T. Bornscheuer

Institute of Biochemistry, Dept. of Biotechnology & Enzyme Catalysis, Greifswald University (Germany)

Email: uwe.bornscheuer@uni-greifswald.de

This lecture will cover recent achievements in the discovery, protein engineering and application of enzymes as well as some recent trends in biocatalysis [1].

For the asymmetric of synthesis of chiral amines, we created (S)-selective amine transaminases for the acceptance of bulky ketones using rational design, but also high-throughput screening methods [2]. For the regioselective methylation/alkylation, we have explored SAM-dependent O-methyltransferases to make flavonoids and related compounds [3] and developed engineered halide methyltransferases to transfer alkyl residues such as ethyl-, propyl- or allyl-, substantially expanding the repertoire of target compounds [4]. In addition, we have engineered a P450 enzyme for the highly selective formation of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) from lithocholic acid [5]. For the degradation of complex algal polysaccharides, we have discovered unique P450-monooxygenases, which catalyze the demethylation of 6-O-methyl-d-galactose [6] present in agar/porphyran and elucidated a multi-enzyme degradation pathway for ulvan [7].

[1]     Yi., D. et al., Chem. Soc. Rev., 50, 8003-8049 (2021); Wu, S. et al. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 60, 88-119 (2021); Rudroff, F. et al., Nat. Catal. 1, 12-22 (2018); Badenhorst C.P.S., Bornscheuer, U.T., Trends Biochem. Sci., (2018), 43, 180-198; Bornscheuer, U.T. et al., Nature, 485, 185-194 (2012)

[2]     Pavlidis, I. et al., Nature Chem., 8, 1076-1082 (2016); Weiß, M.S. et al., Org. Biol. Chem., 14, 10249-10254 (2016); Weiß, M.S. et al., ChemBioChem, 18, 1022-1026 (2017)

[3]     Tang, Q. et al., ChemBioChem, 22, 2584-2590 (2021); Tang, Q. et al., ChemCatChem, 12, 3721-3727 (2020); Tang, Q. et al., ChemCatChem, 11, 3227-3233 (2019)

[4]     Tang, Q. et al., Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 60, 1524-1527 (2021)

[5]     Grobe, S. et al., Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 60, 753-757 (2021)

[6]     Reisky, L. et al., Nature Chem. Biol., 14, 342-344 (2018)

[7]     Reisky, L. et al., Nature Chem. Biol., 15, 803-812 (2019)