Synthetic Enzymes

Synthetic Enzymes

The Basics

Adapting

Enzymes

-Chris Funke

- Shape shifting means that these naturally

occuring enzymes will adapt and change in

order to suit the task at hand.

-Prevelant in the human body in the form of

digestive enzymes.

- Until recently, scientists have been

unable to recreate this shape shifting

property in synthetic enzyme molecules.

-This has been a consistant problem for

chemists involved with manufacturing, until

now.

-When manufacturers are producing a new chemical

substance, often times its natural reaction occurs

too slowly.

-Here the manufacturer will turn to the use of

an enzyme catalyst.

-Common practice in the pharmaceutical industry.

-Many reactions require highly specialized

catalysts.

-Naturally occuring enzymes escape this degree of

complexity by having the ability to shape shift.

Creating Synthetic Enzymes Continued

-The traditional method would now take the several proteins created and test them for effeciency in catalysing the desired reaction. The most profficient would then be choosen.

-However with the breakthrough in self adapting enzymes, a new method is available.

-The common form for designing such an enzymes consists of repeated rounds of random mutations. These mutatated enzymes will then be monitored for an increase in productivity.

-Can yield efficiencies hundred-fold better then a non-mutated enzyme.

Synthetic Enzymes in Industry

Real Life Applications

The Benefits

The use of synthetic enzymes in both

industry and medicine are advantageous

in more ways that can be listed. Although

they can often times be difficult to

fabricate, here are some reasons why they

are so beneficial:

The most significant applications of

having such enzymes available lie in:

-Industry

-Medicine

- Accelerate reactions.

- Can be designed to act on very specific substrates.

- Operate under mild conditions.

- Safe and easy to control.

- Biodegradable.

Sources

"The Uses of Enzymes In industry and Medicine." 123HelpMe.com. 28 Mar 2011

<http://www.123HelpMe.com/view.asp?id=123081>.

Synthetic enzymes a reality. (2008). eLab: Biotechnology, Retrieved from http://www.scientistlive.com/European-Science-News/Biotechnology/Synthetic_enzymes_a_reality/20686/

-Extremely popular in the textile(Finishing of Fabrics), brewing, and detergent industries.

-With Cellulose being the main component of cotton as well as most natural fibres, the enzyme cellulase is used in a process called biopolishing.

-In detergents, protease serves to remove basic stains, and Lipases to bond oil molecules to water. Synthetic Enzymes greatly increase the efficiency of modern detergents by allowing the hydrolysis of such oils to bond to water much more rapidly.

- In the brewing industry, such enzymes are added to unmalted barley, producing the same simple sugars and amino acids as regular malting, only significantly easier.

The Breakthrough

More on Creating Synthetic Enzymes

- Chemists at Ohio State University have

succesfully designed a synthetic enzyme that

can warp its molecular structure into a

specific shape for a specific job.

-These chemists synthesised a catalyst

enabling hydrogenation.

-A self folding enzyme is crucial in the

respect that the fold of an enzyme

determines its shape and thus its function.

-We already know that enzymes consist of

a chain of amino acids, which fold into

three dimensional protein structures.

-When creating a specialized synthetic

enzyme, chemists start with the "heart",

or the active site. This is where the desired

reaction will take place, and is therefore the

basis of it's design.

-From here the backbone of the enzyme is

created. this consists of the amino acid chain.

-This can be seemingly difficult as to the

infinite number of arrangements that can be created

from 20 amino acids, however, scientists can usually

easily narrow down such designs based on structure

and purpose.

-Prior to this discovery, manufacturers would

rely on dozens of trial and error tests in order

to determine the shape of the enzyme required.

Synthetic Enzymes in

Medicine

-As previously mentioned, synthetic enzymes serve numerous and crucial

purposes in the pharmaceutical industry.

-Many conditions resulting in an enzyme defficiency

(ie. Cystic Fibrosis) call for the ingestion of enzyme supplements

-The basis for many antibiotics, enzymes can serve to differentiate

the harmful toxins and bacteria within the body from the natural

human cells.

For example, sulfa medication works by disabling an enzyme that is

responsible for disabling the creation of nucleotides in certain

bacterias,but not in humans. Without these nucleotides, the bacteria

is rendered unable to reproduce.