Enzyme engineering: from site-directed mutagenesis to directed evolution (Moodle: 181945-WiSe20/21)

NEW: Due to the increasing COVID19-rates, the lecture will take place in form of live-sessions in Zoom. Further details can be found on moodle, please register for this course as soon as possible. 

This lecture deals with concepts and methods for the construction of tailor-made enzymes for white biotechnology. The selected examples are of biotechnological relevance and cover different enzyme families and industrial as well as academic applications. The methods range from directed evolution to modern knowledge-guided point mutagenesis. Initially, students will be introduced into the concepts of white biotechnology and biocatalysis.

Textbook and literature recommendations will be given at the beginning of the lecture. As the lecture progresses, new developments will be referred to by discussing current publications.

The lecture is aimed at MSc students of biochemistry and chemistry and will take place every Wednesday, 10:15-11:00, and Friday, 10:15-12:00, in Zoom, for the first time on October 28th, 2020.

In case of increasing COVID19 infections, the lecture will take place using Zoom. Notification will be sent by moodle.

If you are interested in joining our group for a Bachelor or Master thesis or preparatory undergraduate research projects, please contact us.

Students are enabled to pursue scientific projects with an ever increasing level of independence in an interdisciplinary environment.

Possible topics include one or more of the following techniques:

• organic synthesis of small molecules for feeding studies
• protein expression in diverse microbial hosts
• protein purification
• enzyme mutagenesis / enzymology / directed evolution
• microbial fermentation and isolation of natural products
• Biocatalysis / White Biotechnology