【Abstracts】

Designer Enzymes are enzymes whose functions have been artificially modified to catalyze specific chemical reactions. This allows us to efficiently control reactions that are typically difficult or even impossible to achieve using traditional catalysts like metal or organic catalysts. As a result, designer enzymes have the potential to surpass the “manufacturing” mechanisms of nature itself and provide more environmentally friendly synthetic methods.

Recently, the development of the groundbreaking protein structure prediction program, AlphaFold (which was awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry), has significantly advanced our understanding of enzyme structures. This has made it increasingly feasible to control enzyme functions artificially, and we believe this field is poised for further development. In terms of catalyst design, the role of chemists, especially those skilled in chemical reactions, is crucial.

In our lab, we focus on unique reactions that occur during the biosynthesis of natural products, and we are developing innovative methodologies for the artificial control of enzyme functions. These include "precise control of multi-step reactions that convert simple raw materials into complex products" and "switching catalytic reactions through molecular interactions." Our aim is to create enzymes capable of catalyzing these distinctive reactions and to advance the field of designer enzymes.

【Keywords】

Control of the enzyme function, multi-step reactions 

【Skills learned】

Purification of enzymes, Microanalysis, Chemical synthesis

【Publications】

Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2023, 62, e202308881.

Org. Lett. 2021, 23, 2616-2620. 

J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2018, 140, 12392-12395.