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Protein engineering is the application of science, mathematics, and economics to the process of developing useful or valuable proteins. It is a young discipline, with much research currently taking place into the understanding of protein folding and protein recognition for protein design principles. Part of a scientific laboratory at the University of Cologne. ...
For other meanings of mathematics or uses of math and maths, see Mathematics (disambiguation) and Math (disambiguation). ...
Face-to-face trading interactions on the New York Stock Exchange trading floor. ...
A representation of the 3D structure of myoglobin, showing coloured alpha helices. ...
Protein folding is the process by which a protein assumes its characteristic functional shape or tertiary structure, also known as the native state. ...
Protein design is the design of new protein molecules from scratch. ...
There are two general strategies for protein engineering. The first is known as rational design, in which the scientist uses detailed knowledge of the structure and function of the protein to make desired changes. This has the advantage of being generally inexpensive and easy, since site-directed mutagenesis techniques are well-developed. However, there is a major drawback in that detailed structural knowledge of a protein is often unavailable, and even when it is available, it can be extremely difficult to predict the effects of various mutations.
Computational protein design algorithms seek to identify amino acid sequences that have low energies for target structures. While the sequence-conformation space that needs to be searched is large, the most challenging requirement for computational protein design is a fast, yet accurate, energy function that can distinguish optimal sequences from similar suboptimal ones. Using computational methods, a protein with a novel fold has been designed[1], as well as sensors for un-natural molecules[2]. Protein design is the design of new protein molecules from scratch. ...
Flowcharts are often used to represent algorithms. ...
The second strategy is known as directed evolution. This is where random mutagenesis is applied to a protein, and a selection regime is used to pick out variants that have the desired qualities. Further rounds of mutation and selection are then applied. This method mimics natural evolution and generally produces superior results to rational design. An additional technique known as DNA shuffling mixes and matches pieces of successful variants in order to produce better results. This process mimics recombination that occurs naturally during sexual reproduction. The great advantage of directed evolution techniques is that they require no prior structural knowledge of a protein, nor it is necessary to be able to predict what effect a given mutation will have. Indeed, the results of directed evolution experiments are often surprising in that desired changes are often caused by mutations that no one would have expected. The drawback is that they require high-throughput, which is not feasible for all proteins. Large amounts of recombinant DNA must be mutated and the products screened for desired qualities. The sheer number of variants often requires expensive robotic equipment to automate the process. Furthermore, not all desired activities can be easily screened for. Directed evolution is a method used in protein engineering to harness the power of Darwinian selection to evolve proteins with desirable properties not found in nature. ...
This article is about evolution in biology. ...
DNA shuffling, also known as sexual PCR, is a way to rapidly propagate beneficial mutations in a directed evolution experiment. ...
Recombination usually refers to the biological process of genetic recombination and meiosis, a genetic event that occurs during the formation of sperm and egg cells. ...
Sexual reproduction is a union that results in increasing genetic diversity of the offspring. ...
Rational design and directed evolution techniques are not mutually exclusive; good researchers will often apply both. In the future, more detailed knowledge of protein structure and function, as well as advancements in high-throughput technology, will greatly expand the capabilities of protein engineering.
See also
Gene synthesis is the process of synthesizing an artificially designed gene into a physical DNA sequence. ...
Bacterial Display (or bacteria display or bacterial surface display) is a protein engineering technique used for in vitro protein evolution. ...
Phage display is a test to screen for protein interactions by integrating multiple genes from a gene bank into phages. ...
mRNA display is a display technique used to perform in vitro protein, and/or peptide evolution to create molecules that can bind to a desired ligand. ...
Ribosome Display is a technique used to perform in vitro protein evolution to create proteins that can bind to a desired ligand. ...
Yeast display (or yeast surface display) is a technique used in the field of protein engineering. ...
Ribbon diagram of the catalytically perfect enzyme TIM. An enzyme is a protein that catalyzes, or speeds up, a chemical reaction. ...
Protein folding is the process by which a protein assumes its characteristic functional shape or tertiary structure, also known as the native state. ...
Protein design is the design of new protein molecules from scratch. ...
The term proteome was coined by Mark Wilkins in 1995 (1) and is used to describe the entire complement of proteins in a given biological organism or system at a given time, i. ...
Structural biology is a branch of molecular biology concerned with the study of the architecture and shape of biological macromolecules--proteins and nucleic acids in particular—and what causes them to have the structures they have. ...
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