Engineering Neofunctionalization in a Model Triterpene Synthase (HEMMINGS_U17DTP1)

酶工程在英国生物经济中扮演着重要的角色，是发现新化合物和生产高价值化学品的途径。到2018年，全球工业酶市场预计将达到70亿美元。植物衍生的天然产物形成了一大类化合物，经常被发现具有制药、农业和工业生物技术应用，但它们的商业开发往往受到其合成困难的限制。东安格利亚大学的Andrew Hemmings博士和约翰英纳斯中心的Anne Osbourn教授正在合作开发一项重大项目，旨在开发能够生产新型可利用化合物的工程天然产物生物合成酶。一名博士研究生已经获得了一项令人兴奋的研究，旨在重新设计一种关键的三萜生物合成酶。成功的候选人将在试图设计该目标的催化性能方面发挥核心作用。为了实现这一目标，他们将接受蛋白质工程、分子和结构生物学、分析生物化学和计算建模等前沿方法的培训。这项研究将广泛利用东安格利亚大学的当地设施，包括结构和分子生物化学中心（CMSB）和约翰英纳斯中心。

Enzyme engineering plays a major role in the UK bioeconomy as a route to the discovery of novel compounds and the production of high-value chemicals. The global market for industrial enzymes is predicted to reach $7bn by 2018.Plant-derived natural products form a large set of compounds frequently found to have pharmaceutical, agricultural and industrial biotechnology applications yet their commercial exploitation is often limited by their synthetic intractability. In a collaboration between the groups of Dr. Andrew Hemmings (University of East Anglia) and Professor Anne Osbourn (John Innes Centre) a major project is underway to develop engineered natural product biosynthetic enzymes capable of producing novel, exploitable compoundsA PhD research studentship has become available to carry out exciting research aimed at reengineering a critical triterpene biosynthetic enzyme. The successful candidate will play a central role in attempts to engineer the catalytic properties of this target. To achieve this they will receive training in cutting edge methods of protein engineering, molecular and structural biology, analytical biochemistry and computational modelling. The research will make extensive use of local facilities at UEA including the Centre for Structural and Molecular Biochemistry (CMSB) and at the John Innes Centre.