Protein engineering and other bio-synthetic routes for bio-based materials: current uses and potential applications

摘要

SincethepioneerworkofStanleyCohen,HerbertBoyerandtheir collaborators almost 40 years ago (Cohen et al., 1973), genetic engineering had advanced greatly.The tools and resources available to the genetic engineer open new opportunities in genome engineering (Carr and Church, 2009) and synthetic biology (Lu et al., 2009).Butstillmuchneedstobedonetobuildandcontrolbiologicalsystems.InthecurrentResearchTopic,wefocuson the synthesis of bio-based materials employing the basic principlesofgeneticengineering.Therationaleofutilizingbiosynthesis as a route for material production relies on the capability of the biological machinery to produce macromolecules of well-de?ned sequence, stereochemistry, and size.The speci?c location of the chemical groups in a given bio-macromolecule is critical to its structure and ultimately its biological function.Protein engineering has emerged as a strong tool to produce proteins in large scale with high ?delity.In the context of the current Research Topic we refer to such protein products as bio/macromolecules, nanostructures,biologicalsorprecursorsproducedinabio-based environment.The topic is designed to present several approaches to biosynthesis, not limited to the production of a target protein in a bacterial host.