Imitating portions of the process of natural selection has led to the production of novel enzyme function.

By combining elements of protein engineering and directed evolution, researchers open the door to creating enzymes with diverse catalytic functions in a protein scaffold of their choice.

Hak-Sung Kim from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology recently described SIAFE – simultaneous incorporation and adjustment of functional elements. Reducing an enzyme to functional elements, then adjusting one element through random mutation, he was able to evolve new functionality from a well known enzyme. The parthway has great potential for directed evolution of enzymes that perform useful tasks.

Improving evolution - Nature Methods (subscription required)