Researchers from the Polytechnic Institute of New York University have reported the development of “… a novel method of stabilizing proteins, including important enzymes used to produce certain artificial sweeteners and bio-ethanol.”
More from a Release dated October 13, sourced from Polytechnic Institute of New York University:
NYU-Poly Breakthrough Stabilizes Important Proteins | Business Wire
Applications Include Therapeutic Proteins for Diagnosis of Illnesses and Enzymes to Produce Bio-Ethanol and Low-Calorie Sweeteners
NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
Scientists at the Polytechnic Institute of New York University report
they have developed a novel method of stabilizing proteins, including
important enzymes used to produce certain artificial sweeteners and
bio-ethanol. The research will also be useful for extending the lifetime
of therapeutic proteins employed to diagnose illnesses.The NYU-Poly scientists inserted the unstable exoinulinase (EI) protein
into a thermophilic scaffold protein, which is known for its stability
and a propensity to protect less stable proteins. The method developed
by the NYU-Poly scientists stabilizes EI without compromising its
enzymatic ability; in other words, its ability to act as a catalyst to
enhance certain chemical reactions. In the past, EI proteins lost their
enzymatic activity too rapidly to be useful in turning the abundant
plant sugar inulin into ultra-high fructose syrup or bio-ethanol.The method can potentially be applied to a wide range of unstable
proteins for therapeutic purposes, such as diagnosis of illnesses using
proteins.“Enzyme Stabilization by Domain Insertion into a Thermophilic Protein”
was published in the journal Protein Engineering, Design and
Selection (October 2009). The first author is Chung-Sei Kim, a post
doctoral researcher working under Jin Ryoun Kim, an assistant professor
in NYU-Poly’s Chemical and Biological Engineering Department. Brennal
Pierre, a PhD graduate student in Kim’s laboratory, was one of the
coauthors. They have applied for a provisional patent.About Polytechnic Institute of New York University
Polytechnic Institute of New York University (formerly Polytechnic
University), an affiliate of New York University, is New York’s most
comprehensive school of engineering, applied sciences, technology and
research, and is rooted in Polytechnic’s 155-year tradition of
invention, innovation and entrepreneurship – i2e. The
institution, founded in 1854, is one of the nation’s oldest private
engineering schools.In addition to its main campus at MetroTech Center in downtown Brooklyn,
it offers programs at sites throughout the region and around the globe.
NYU-Poly has centers in Long Island, Manhattan and Westchester County;
globally, it has programs in Israel, China and will be an integral part
of NYU’s campus in Abu Dhabi opening in autumn 2010. For more
information, visit www.poly.edu.…
