Structure, function and application of novel biocatalysts

Structural and Applied Enzymology Gideon Grogan works on the identification, characterisation and application of new enzymes that have potential applications in biotechnology, including those for the production of chiral pharmaceutical precursors and the bioprocessing of renewable materials. Recent work has focused on:

Oxygenases, including cytochromes P450 (P450s) and flavoprotein monooxygenases; Reductases, including those that act on prochiral ketones (KREDs) and imines (IREDs); and lyases and hydrolases that catalyse the formation and cleavage of carbon-carbon bonds. In each case, a multidisciplinary approach is adopted, involving synthetic chemistry, microbiology, molecular biology, and X-ray crystallography, with a view to engineering enzymes for altered or improved characteristics.