28^th European Biotechnology Congress

Protein Engineering

Protein engineering is a method that is used to develop new types of proteins. This field of science is comparatively new, and original ways of combining protein elements continue to be studied and discovered by researchers. This type of engineering permits materials with specific strengths or features to be developed. Protein engineering is the design of latest enzymes or proteins with new or desirable functions. It is based upon the use of recombinant DNA technology to change amino acid sequences. The prospects for protein engineering, together with the roles of x-ray crystallography, chemical synthesis of DNA, and computer modeling of protein structure and folding, are mentioned. It is currently possible to attempt to modify various properties of proteins by combining information on crystal structure and protein chemistry with artificial gene synthesis. Such techniques supply the potential for altering protein structure and function in ways not possible by any other method.