Microzymes: Synthetic, atactic D-L-microprotein enzymes

Small synthetic functional proteins are made feasible through this proposal.

• Novel atactic D-L-microproteins with a hydrophobic core. 

• Microzymes: Super small synthetic proteases

• Structure, activity and specificity

• Potential therapeutic enzymes

The program designs and investigates a novel class of atactic and synthetic D-L-microproteins with catalytic residues corresponding to the four classes of natural proteolytic enzymes. These "microzymes" are evolved through mutational Molecular Dynamics (MD) around a hydrophobic protein core. They are only 30-50 amino acids long and will be synthesized and structurally investigated. They will be screened combinatorially with FRET substrate libraries to identify proteolytic activity and active enzymes will be evolved towards pathogen proteins and in particular Alzheimer Aß1-42.