ERC Starting Grant · 2023
Evolution of shape-defined macromolecules into functional systems
Functionalities of enzymes are encoded in amino acid sequences and directed by their SHAPEs with complementary binding pockets for specific substrates. Natural enzymes are remarkable catalysts, however, they are typically optimized by evolution to operate under the constraints of the physiological environment of a living system, which strongly limits the scope of their applications in organic synthesis. Here, I propose to develop abiotic enzymes to selectively catalyze chemical transformations in non-physiological environments. The main objective of the project is to use monomer sequence control to fine-tune the SHAPE of abiotic macromolecules to obtain the desired catalytic functionality.…
From the public funding record at EU CORDIS. Describes the funded project, not the reviews below.