Automated Flow Synthesis for Biocatalysis

The paper illustrated here, entitled "Automated Flow Synthesis of Artificial Heme Enzymes for Enantioselective Biocatalysis", describes a new method for making artificial enzymes using a technology called Automated Flow Peptide Synthesis (AFPS).

Here's a simplified explanation of the work:
- Automated Flow Peptide Synthesis (AFPS): This is a technique that allows scientists to quickly and efficiently make long chains of amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins. The process involves coupling amino acids together in a flow system at high temperatures, resulting in very fast and highly efficient reactions.
- Artificial haem enzymes: Heme enzymes are natural enzymes that contain a heme group, which is crucial for their ability to catalyse (speed up) chemical reactions. The researchers used AFPS to synthesise artificial versions of these enzymes. These artificial enzymes are designed to carry out specific chemical reactions that are useful in various scientific and industrial applications.
- Biocatalysis: Artificial haem enzymes produced at AFPS have been tested for their ability to catalyse a specific type of chemical reaction known as carbene transfer. This reaction is important for creating complex molecules that can be used in pharmaceuticals and other industries.
- Efficiency and potential: The study showed that AFPS is a powerful tool for creating artificial enzymes quickly and efficiently. This opens up new possibilities for the exploration and engineering of enzymes with non-natural sequences, potentially leading to the development of new biocatalysts with unique and valuable properties.

This work highlights a novel method for synthesising artificial enzymes that can carry out specific chemical reactions, opening up new opportunities in enzyme engineering and biocatalysis.