Enzyme discovery

Winner: 2023 Chemistry Biology Interface Horizon Prize: Rita and John Cornforth Award

For the discovery and engineering of novel enzymes, creating more sustainable pathways to biologically and industrially important molecules.

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Our research has allowed us to discover and engineer enzymes and pathways for sustainable synthesis, and we look forward to the future applications of our work in providing more parts of the world with increased access to essential medicines and more sustainable routes to commonly used products.

A team from the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology and the Department of Chemistry at The University of Manchester with collaborators from GlaxoSmithKline have successfully discovered new enzymes for sustainable synthesis.

They discovered and engineered enzymes and pathways to provide more sustainable and efficient routes to new and improved antimicrobials and other important therapeutic agents.

Their work has the potential to help reduce problems of chemical waste and could lead to more affordable products, including medicines, to help treat antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and other neglected diseases in the developing world.

The team

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Luis Bering, Research fellow, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology & Department of Chemistry, The University of Manchester
Elliott Craven, PhD student, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology & Department of Chemistry, The University of Manchester
Alba Diaz-Rodriguez, Industrial collaborator, GlaxoSmithKline
Daniel Francis, PhD student, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology & Department of Chemistry, The University of Manchester
Joanna Fyans, PDRA, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology & Department of Chemistry, The University of Manchester
Michael Greaney, Professor, Department of Chemistry, The University of Manchester
Abigail Herbert, PhD student, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology & Department of Chemistry, The University of Manchester
Imtiaz Khan, PDRA, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology & Department of Chemistry, The University of Manchester
Jonathan Latham, PhD student, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology & Department of Chemistry, The University of Manchester, GlaxoSmithKline
Brian Law, PDRA, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology & Department of Chemistry, The University of Manchester
Colin Levy, Experimental officer, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology
Jason Micklefield, Professor, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology & Department of Chemistry, The University of Manchester
Katherine Robins, PDRA, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology & Department of Chemistry, The University of Manchester
Michael Rowlinson, PhD student, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology & Department of Chemistry, The University of Manchester
Sarah Shepherd, Project Manager, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology & Department of Chemistry, The University of Manchester
Wei Li Thong, PDRA, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology & Department of Chemistry, The University of Manchester
Fanghua Wang, Visiting researcher, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology & Department of Chemistry, The University of Manchester
Michael Winn, PDRA, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology & Department of Chemistry, The University of Manchester
Yingxin Zhang, PDRA, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology & Department of Chemistry, The University of Manchester
Ying Zhuo, PhD student, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology & Department of Chemistry, The University of Manchester

Q&A

What different strengths did different people bring to the team?

Imtiaz Khan: Teamwork involves helping other members of the team to achieve the common goal. Effective communication and problem-solving skills, organisational and time-management skills, positive attitude, decision making and strong working ethics are all excellent attributes to make a good team.

Why is this work so important and exciting?

Sarah Shepherd: Our work is always looking to reduce society’s reliance on petrochemicals, develop more sustainable routes to products of industrial interest and look to deliver solutions to increase access to essential medicines in the global south. Developing and applying the latest tools and technologies allows us to do this, which makes the research both exciting and rewarding.

What inspires or motivates your team?

Wei Li Thong: What motivates me is the continuous learning opportunities and exciting projects with impactful contributions to scientific communities.

What is the importance of collaboration in the chemical sciences?

Michael Winn: So much work in the chemical sciences now spans wide and diverse fields. From traditional chemical synthesis, to enzymology, synthetic biology, metabolic engineering and, beyond bioinformatics, computational biology, DNA synthesis and sequencing. Keeping on top of all the latest and greatest developments would be impossible without constant discussion and collaboration with colleagues from an extensive range of backgrounds. We recognise that chemistry is part of a wide and interconnected world and the biggest range of views and knowledge that we can bring together help us to address the real problems and challenges.

What does good research culture look like or mean to you?

Michael Winn: The most important thing in research culture, as in life in general, is openness and respect. Openness to individuals from a range of backgrounds and experiences, and openness to new ideas and ways of doing things. Try to be evidence based as much as possible, and if there isn’t enough evidence to convince everybody around the table of the same facts, then try to design better experiments!

Why is chemistry important?

Luis Bering: Chemistry affects nearly every aspect of our modern life, and many desired development goals for a sustainable society will result from advances in the chemistry field.

What advice would you give to a young person considering a career in chemistry?

Jason Micklefield: Research can be tough and there will be many failures. Self-belief, perseverance and hard work are essential. It is also important to be flexible, explore many directions and be ready to exploit the unexpected: rarely do things go as planned.