We engineer enzymes!
Biocatalysis is the use of enzymes to carry out defined chemical reactions under controlled conditions, in order to convert raw materials into commercially more valuable products.
The high selectivity of enzymatic transformations, combined with the mild reaction conditions and the use of inexpensive reagents, represent sound advantages for biocatalysis.
Our research is aimed at developing novel and efficient processes for synthesizing natural food additives and drug intermediates, as well as to study structure-function correlations of enzymes.
In order to tailor the enzymes for industrial conditions we employ protein engineering techniques. Among methods utilized are random mutation and selection coined Directed Evolution, rational design, data driven mutagenesis, and x-ray structural analysis.
Projects in the lab include the improvement of lipases for biodiesel production, structure-function correlations of tyrosinases, crosslinking of food proteins for modulating structural properties, alternative proteins for meat and dairy analogues, and bioremediation of water pollutants.
