Bacterial monooxygenases as new biocatalysts

使用酶来合成新的药物越来越重要。单加氧酶特别令人感兴趣，因为它们能够执行化学上困难的反应，从而增加了制造新药物的可能性。我们已经证明，在自然产生的细菌中存在着一个巨大的多样化和新颖的单加氧酶池。这些酶在污染物降解和调节温室气体排放方面自然很重要。我们将通过表征影响催化性能的结构特征来开发这些用于生物技术的酶，这些结构特征与药物合成中的挑战相关。这些成果将使它们在新药合成中的具体应用成为可能。

Using enzymes for synthesis of new pharmaceuticals is of increasing importance. Monooxygenases are particularly interesting because of their capacity to perform chemically difficult reactions thus increasing potential to make new pharmaceuticals. We have shown that an enormous pool of diverse and novel monooxygenases exists in naturally occurring bacteria. These enzymes are naturally important in pollutant degradation and regulating the emissions of greenhouse gases. We will develop these enzymes for biotechnology by characterizing structural features that influence catalytic properties relevant to challenges in pharmaceutical synthesis. The outcomes will enable their engineering for specific applications in synthesis of new drugs.