NMR spectroscopy used to guide evolution of better enzymes

A nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy technique could offer a quick and simple way to identify hotspots in proteins for engineering new and more efficient enzymes. The team behind the work demonstrated the method by directing the evolution of a muscle protein that usually stores oxygen so that it became an effective eliminase enzyme.

Protein engineers use directed evolution as a tool to improve the properties of proteins, as well as to create new enzymes. By mimicking natural selection, it typically involves cycles of gene mutation via a process called mutagenesis to produce a library of variants in which some may have desirable functions. However, with so many potential mutations for a given protein, the space to explore is vast.