CAREER: Study of Novel Interfacial Biocatalysis of Multienzyme Systems Self-Assembled at Organic-Aqueous Interfaces

王萍BES-0348412生物催化正面临着新一轮的振兴，包括对环境友好产业的日益增长的需求和对映体纯化合物的高度兴趣。 尽管通过基因工程和蛋白质科学的最新进展，越来越多的酶变得可用，但有机化合物的水不溶性仍然极大地限制了许多有前途的生物转化的效率。 本研究旨在开发和研究一种突破性的策略，以模拟蛋白质的生物膜结合机制的方式进行界面生物催化。 具体而言，天然水溶性蛋白酶和辅因子将与疏水性聚合物缀合以形成表面活性剂样结构，从而使得催化剂能够在O/A界面处自组装。 研究目标是：（1）使多酶系统能够在O/A界面处自组装，（2）研究多酶系统的界面催化的基本方面，以及（3）评估界面生物催化用于商品化学品生产的潜力，特别是用于生产对羟基苯甲酸（pHBA）的多酶途径，其用于生产液晶聚合物、染料、杀虫剂和药品。 该教育计划旨在（1）促进生物技术的整合，并最终形成化学工程课程的核心基础，以及（2）提高公众对工程的认识和兴趣。

Ping WangBES-0348412Biocatalysis is facing a new wave of revitalization in embracing the growing demands for environmentally-benign industries and the heightened interest in enantiopure compounds. Even though more capable enzymes are becoming available through the latest advances in genetic engineering and protein science, the water-insolubility of organic compounds remains greatly restraining to the efficiency of many promising biotransformations. This research seeks to develop and investigate a breakthrough strategy to conduct interfacial biocatalysis in a way mimicking biological membrane-binding mechanisms of proteins. Specifically, native water-soluble protein enzymes and cofactors will be conjugated with hydrophobic polymers to form surfactant-like structures, thus enabling self-assembling of the catalysts at O/A interfaces. Research objectives are to: (1) Enable the self-assembling of multienzyme systems at O/A interfaces, (2) Investigate fundamental aspects of the interfacial catalysis of multienzyme systems, and (3) Evaluate the potentials of the interfacial biocatalysis for commodity chemical production, especially the multiple enzyme pathway for the production of p-hydroxybenzoic acid (pHBA), which is used for the production of liquid crystal polymers, dyes, pesticides and pharmaceuticals. The education plan seeks to (1) Facilitate the integration and eventually form a core foundation of biotechnology into the chemical engineering curriculum, and (2) Promote public awareness and interests in engineering.