Directed evolution used to probe protein structure and function; new enzymes for bio-remediation and industry

这项研究的目的是产生新的有用的酶，用于生物修复和其他实际应用。例如，我们正在进化酶，以更好地降解属于环境污染物的有机磷农药。除了生产有用的酶，拟议的研究旨在更好地了解酶是如何工作的，以及它们是如何进化的。我们打算确定许多相关酶的结构，这些酶已经进化为具有增强的活性。这些数据将被用来分析序列、结构和酶活性之间的复杂关系。

The aim of the research is to generate new and useful enzymes for bio-remediation and other practical applications. For example, we are evolving enzymes to better degrade organophosphate pesticides that are environmental pollutants. Apart from producing useful enzymes, the proposed research aims at gaining a better understanding of how enzymes work and how they evolve. We intend to determine the structure of many related enzymes that have been evolved to have enhanced activities. This data will be used to analyze the intricate relationship between sequence, structure and enzyme activity.