Despite their diverse functions, proteins are inherently constructed from a limited set of
building blocks. These compositional constraints pose significant challenges to protein …

Fluorophores have transformed the way we study biological systems, enabling non-invasive
studies in cells and intact organisms, which increase our understanding of complex …

The two main strategies for enzyme engineering, directed evolution and rational design,
have found widespread applications in improving the intrinsic activities of proteins. Although …

From a chemical point of view, enzymes are by far the most structurally complex and
functionally sophisticated molecules known. This is perhaps not surprising, once one …

Described herein are the syntheses and photophysical characterization of three novel
cyanotryptophans, and their efficient incorporation into proteins as fluorescent probes …

Genetic code expansion (GCE) enables the site-specific incorporation of non-canonical
amino acids as novel building blocks for the investigation and manipulation of proteins. The …

Understanding the relationship between protein structural dynamics and function is crucial
for both basic research and biotechnology. However, methods for studying the fast dynamics …

Here we describe several useful strategies to a variety of unusual α-amino acid derivatives
and peptides based on “building block” approach. These building blocks are suitable for …

Plasmids containing 23S rRNA randomized at positions 2057–2063 and 2502–2507 were
introduced into Escherichia coli, affording a library of clones which produced modified …

Traditional enzyme engineering relies on substituting one amino acid by one of the other 19
natural amino acids to change the functional properties of an enzyme. However …