Silicon Biotechnology

尽管20世纪90年代中期的数据表明，有机硅和蛋白质不相容，但最近的研究表明，关于有机硅对蛋白质影响的一般性结论不一定是有害的。事实上，有机硅可以与蛋白质相互作用而不会使其变性，并且在某些情况下，已经观察到有机硅与蛋白质之间的协同相互作用。蛋白水解酶胰蛋白酶甚至可以在体外催化烷氧基硅烷转化为无机二氧化硅。虽然自然界已经进化出许多处理Si-O键的系统，但硅和其他原子之间的生物介导键几乎是未知的，包括Si-C键的形成。利用生物技术在硅原子和除氧以外的原子之间形成键的能力将彻底改变硅化学领域。

Although data presented in the mid 1990s suggested that silicones and proteins were incompatible, more recent research has demonstrated that generalizations regarding the effects of silicones on proteins are not necessarily detrimental. In fact, silicones can interact with proteins without denaturing them, and in some cases a cooperative interaction between silicone and proteins has been observed. The proteolytic enzyme trypsin can even catalyze the conversion of alkoxysilanes to inorganic silica in vitro. Although Nature has evolved many systems that process Si-O bonds, biologically-mediated bonds between silicon and other atoms are virtually unknown, including the formation of a Si-C bond. The ability to make bonds between silicon atoms and atoms other than oxygen using biotechnology would revolutionize the field of silicon chemistry.