Prof. Roelfes receives NWO ENW-KLEIN grant of EUR 304,000

For his project ‘Designer enzymes with unnatural amino acids as catalytic residue for new-to-nature catalysis’, Prof. Roelfes from the Stratingh Institute for Chemistry received a NWO ENW-KLEIN grant worth EUR 304,000. In this project, Roelfes will create new enzymes to catalyse reactions that do not occur in nature.

Biocatalysis (catalysis by enzymes) will make an important contribution to the transition to more sustainable chemical engineering. Enzymes are fantastic catalysts, but their chemical repertoire is limited compared to the enormous number of other reactions available to the chemist. To create new enzymes, Roelfes will use a new design concept in which catalytic, active, non-natural amino acids are built into natural proteins using a technique that allows us to expand the genetic code. The enzymes we design will then be perfected in the laboratory by the process of evolution.

ENW-KLEIN

The ENW-KLEIN grant offers researchers the opportunity to establish scientific innovations that can form the basis for the research themes of the future. In this round, the Board of NWO Domain Science has awarded 20 applications, of which 2 at the UG.