PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Hybrid enzyme catalysts synthesized by a de novo approach for expanding biocatalysis

Hybrid enzyme catalysts synthesized by a de novo approach for expanding biocatalysis
2021-07-08
(Press-News.org) The two major challenges in industrial enzymatic catalysis are the limited number of chemical reaction types that are catalyzed by enzymes and the instability of enzymes under harsh conditions in industrial catalysis. Expanding enzyme catalysis to a larger substrate scope and greater variety of chemical reactions and tuning the microenvironment surrounding enzyme molecules to achieve high enzyme performance are urgently needed.

Recently, a research team led by Prof. Jun Ge from Tsinghua University, China reviewed their efforts using the de novo approach to synthesize hybrid enzyme catalysts that can address these two challenges and the structure-function relationship is discussed to reveal the principles of designing hybrid enzyme catalysts. The results were published in Chinese Journal of Catalysis.

In 2012, they first reported a coprecipitation method to prepare enzyme-inorganic-crystal composites. The coprecipitation method is general for preparing hybrid enzyme catalysts with various inorganic crystals, including MOFs. In 2014, they first proposed a coprecipitation strategy for directly synthesizing protein-embedded MOFs. The coprecipitation strategy for synthesizing enzyme-MOF composites is widely used in different types of MOFs, enzymes, proteins, DNA, siRNA, antibodies, and even cells. The mechanisms of enhancement of activity and stability of enzymes in the confined environment of MOFs were discussed. In addition to this, they constructed multienzyme-MOF composites to enhance the cascade reaction in a confined scaffold and developed a coarse-grained, particle-based model to understand the origin of the activity enhancement.

The apparent activity of enzymes in MOFs with a limited pore size is usually compromised when the enzyme substrate has a relatively high molecular weight. By introducing defects within the MOF matrix to generate larger pores, diffusional restrictions can be alleviated. Therefore, they developed methods for introducing defects into MOFs during coprecipitation. Tuning the concentration of precursors of MOFs, defected and even amorphous MOFs can be synthesized. These defects created mesopores in the composites, facilitated access of the substrates to the encapsulated enzymes and improved the apparent enzyme activity. The mechanism of defect generation was thoroughly studied and understood.

Moreover, instead of enzyme encapsulation, small inorganic crystals can grow in situ in a confined environment on the surface of an enzyme to combine enzymatic catalysis and chemocatalysis. They demonstrated how to construct an enzyme-metal hybrid catalyst to efficiently combine enzyme catalysis and metal cluster catalysis. Single lipase-polymer conjugates as confined nanoreactors were utilized for the in situ generation of Pd nanoparticles/clusters to accomplish chemoenzymatic dynamic kinetic resolution (DKR) of amines. The distinct size-dependent activity of Pd nanoparticles was observed. Experiments and simulations suggested that the engineering of the oxidation state of Pd plays an important role in the activity of Pd in the hybrid catalyst. This strategy for constructing enzyme-metal hybrid catalysts with excellent compatibility between enzymatic and metal-catalytic activities leads to many potential applications in chemical industry.

INFORMATION:

This work was supported by the Beijing Natural Science Foundation (JQ18006), the National Key Research and Development Plan of China (2016YFA0204300) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (21622603, 21878174, 21911540467).

About the Journal Chinese Journal of Catalysis is co-sponsored by Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Chemical Society, and it is currently published by Elsevier group. This monthly journal publishes in English timely contributions of original and rigorously reviewed manuscripts covering all areas of catalysis. The journal publishes Reviews, Accounts, Communications, Articles, Highlights, Perspectives, and Viewpoints of highly scientific values that help understanding and defining of new concepts in both fundamental issues and practical applications of catalysis. Chinese Journal of Catalysis ranks among the top six journals in Applied Chemistry with a current SCI impact factor of 8.271. The Editors-in-Chief are Profs. Can Li and Tao Zhang. At Elsevier http://www.journals.elsevier.com/chinese-journal-of-catalysis Manuscript submission https://mc03.manuscriptcentral.com/cjcatal


[Attachments] See images for this press release:
Hybrid enzyme catalysts synthesized by a de novo approach for expanding biocatalysis

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Machine learning models based on thermal data predict solar radiation

2021-07-08
A research team at the University of Córdoba has developed and evaluated models for the prediction of solar radiation in nine locations in southern Spain and North Carolina (USA). Measuring solar radiation is costly, as are all the tasks related to the maintenance and calibration of the most commonly used sensors: pyranometers and radiometers. The result is a paucity of reliable data. Hence, a research group from the University of Córdoba has developed and evaluated several Machine Learning models to predict solar radiation in nine locations (southern Spain and North Carolina, USA) spanning a range of different geo-climatic conditions ...

Study finds toddlers with ASD do not differ in progress made in comparison of two treatment types

2021-07-08
Washington, DC, July 8, 2021 - A study in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (JAACAP), published by Elsevier, reports that the type of one-on-one treatment plans delivered to toddlers, aged 12-30 months, diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) did not lead to any significantly different outcomes. Neither the type of evidence-based intervention provided, nor the number of hours of therapy were shown to have an impact. The treatments, or intervention methods, delivered by specialized staff to the very young, during the study were either the Early ...

Highly fit teenagers coped better with COVID-19 later in life

2021-07-08
Of the Swedish men in their late teens who performed well in the physical fitness tests for military conscription, a relatively high proportion were able to avoid hospital care when they became infected with COVID-19 during the pandemic up to 50 years later. This has been shown by University of Gothenburg researchers in a register study, with results now published in the BMJ Open. The study is based on the Swedish Conscription Register, which contains particulars of over 1.5 million young Swedish men who began their military service in the years 1969-2005. Almost all of these men then underwent both a bicycle test and a strength test. Some 2,500 of the men included in the Conscription Register were later, in spring 2020, hospitalized with COVID-19. For their study, the scientists ...

People with ADHD and multiple psychiatric diagnoses stop their ADHD treatment more often

2021-07-08
A research study from the The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research iPSYCH shows that people with ADHD, who also have another psychiatric diagnosis, are more likely to stop taking their ADHD medicine. ADHD is one of the most common psychiatric disorders in childhood and is commonly treated with medication. ADHD medicine can be divided into two groups: medicine that has a stimulating effect - also known as stimulants - and non-stimulants, which are often used if a person does not respond well to the other form of medicine. The medication can be an effective way of reducing symptoms, by ...

New radio receiver opens wider window to radio universe

New radio receiver opens wider window to radio universe
2021-07-08
Researchers have used the latest wireless technology to develop a new radio receiver for astronomy. The receiver is capable of capturing radio waves at frequencies over a range several times wider than conventional ones, and can detect radio waves emitted by many types of molecules in space at once. This is expected to enable significant progresses in the study of the evolution of the Universe and the mechanisms of star and planet formation. Interstellar molecular clouds of gas and dust provide the material for stars and planets. Each type of molecule emits radio waves at characteristic frequencies and astronomers have detected emissions from various molecules ...

Sample preparation in forensic toxicological analysis may have huge impacts

2021-07-08
(Boston)--As analytical instrumentation (gas- and liquid-chromatographs coupled with mass spectrometers) increase in sensitivity and speed, forensic scientists may find themselves still hindered by the process of preparing samples (blood, urine, etc.) for analysis and seeking more efficient approaches. In an article in WIRES Forensic Science, researchers from Boston University School of Medicine's (BUSM) Biomedical Forensic Sciences program, provide an overview of sample preparation techniques and information on routine sample types that may be encountered in forensic toxicology cases. Forensic toxicology encompasses a large variety of scenarios including drug-facilitated crimes, understanding ...

When bosses are abusive, how employees interpret their motives makes a difference: study

2021-07-08
A new UBC Sauder School of Business study shows that depending on how employees understand their boss' motivation, employees can feel anger or guilt, and consequently, react differently to abusive supervision. Former Apple CEO Steve Jobs was a famously harsh corporate leader, one who pushed his employees to extremes to achieve the company's lofty aims. But while many aspiring leaders still believe that the "tough love" approach is effective, a new study from UBC Sauder shows that, even when abusive leadership is meant to push employees to new heights, it can land them in deep lows in the long term. Abusive supervision -- which includes behaviours like yelling at employees, giving them the silent treatment, or putting them down in front of their ...

Depression, suicidal thoughts plague ailing coal miners, study finds

Depression, suicidal thoughts plague ailing coal miners, study finds
2021-07-08
More than a third of coal miners and former coal miners suffering from black lung disease struggle with depression, and more than one in 10 has recently considered suicide, a new study finds. The study is believed to be the first to examine mental-health issues in a large population of coal miners in the United States. Based on the troubling results, the researchers are calling for more mental health resources and treatment for current and former miners. They also are urging further study of potential contributors to the problem, including social determinants of health, ...

Ancient ostrich eggshell reveals new evidence of extreme climate change thousands of years ago

Ancient ostrich eggshell reveals new evidence of extreme climate change thousands of years ago
2021-07-08
Evidence from an ancient eggshell has revealed important new information about the extreme climate change faced by human early ancestors. The research shows parts of the interior of South Africa that today are dry and sparsely populated, were once wetland and grassland 250,000 to 350,000 years ago, at a key time in human evolution. Philip Kiberd and Dr Alex Pryor, from the University of Exeter, studied isotopes and the amino acid from ostrich eggshell fragments excavated at the early middle Stone Age site of Bundu Farm, in the upper Karoo region ...

Total-body PET imaging exceeds industry standards

Total-body PET imaging exceeds industry standards
2021-07-08
Reston, VA--A performance evaluation of the uEXPLORER total-body PET/CT scanner showed that it exhibits ultra-high sensitivity that supports excellent spatial resolution and image quality. Given the long axial field of view (AFOV) of the uEXPLORER, study authors have proposed new, extended measurements for phantoms to characterize total-body PET imaging more appropriately. This research was published in the June issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine. uEXPLORER is the world's first commercially available total-body PET scanner. The scanner has an AFOV of 194 cm, which allows PET data collection from the ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

ACP’s Best Practice Advice addresses use of cannabis, cannabinoids for chronic noncancer pain

Beyond photorespiration: A systematic approach to unlocking enhanced plant productivity

How a small number of mutations can fuel outbreaks of western equine encephalitis virus

Exposure to wildfire smoke linked with worsening mental health conditions

Research uncovers hidden spread of one of the most common hospital-associated infections

Many older adults send their doctors portal messages, but who pays?

Fine particulate matter from 2020 California wildfires and mental health–related emergency department visits

Gender inequity in institutional leadership roles in US academic medical centers

Pancreatic cells ‘remember’ epigenetic precancerous marks without genetic sequence mutations

Rare combination of ovarian tumors found in one patient

AI-driven clinical recommendations may aid physician decision making to improve quality of care

Artificial intelligence has potential to aid physician decisions during virtual urgent care

ACP and Annals of Internal Medicine present breaking scientific news at ACP’s Internal Medicine Meeting 2025

New study reveals polymers with flawed fillers boost heat transfer in plastics

Signs identified that precede sudden arrhythmic death syndrome in young people

Discovery of bacteria's defence against viruses becomes a piece of the puzzle against resistance

Pre-eclampsia is associated with earlier onset and higher incidence of cardiovascular risk factors

Warwick astronomers discover doomed pair of spiralling stars on our cosmic doorstep

Soil conditions significantly increase rainfall in world’s megastorm hotspots

NK cells complexed with bispecific antibody yield high response rates in patients with lymphoma

Planetary health diet and mediterranean diet associated with similar survival and sustainability benefits

Singapore launches national standard to validate antimicrobial disinfectant products

Molecular stool test could improve detection of tuberculosis in adults with HIV

Suspected fibrocartilaginous embolus in Asian small-clawed otter (Aonyx cinereus)

Enhancing heat transfer using the turbulent flow of viscoelastic fluids

Exercise as an anti-ageing intervention to avoid detrimental impact of mental fatigue

UMass Amherst Nursing Professor Emerita honored as ‘Living Legend’

New guidelines aim to improve cystic fibrosis screening

Picky eaters by day, buffet by night: Butterfly, moth diets sync to plant aromas

Pennington Biomedical’s Dr. Leanne Redman honored with the E. V. McCollum Award from the American Society for Nutrition

[Press-News.org] Hybrid enzyme catalysts synthesized by a de novo approach for expanding biocatalysis