The design of artificial metalloenzymes with xenobiotic active sites

This PhD project involves the rational design, preparation and assessment of new artificial metalloenzymes as catalysts for efficient molecular synthesis in water. Nature’s catalysts, enzymes, have been perfected by evolution to perform reactions under mild conditions and with enviable asymmetric control and selectivity. However, the active sites of metalloenzymes are primarily restricted to first row transition metals. Catalysis with heavier transition metals such as gold and palladium offer more diversity in terms of reactivity, but these heavier metals are not “biologically available”. This PhD project will ultimately create new biotechnology to combine the advantages of late transition metal and the enzymatic catalytic worlds, for the efficient catalytic synthesis of complex molecules.
The project will design and prepare new ligand systems for late transition metals that can then be built into increasingly complex and structured peptide and protein assemblies. The resulting artificial metalloenzymes with xenobiotic active sites will be studied in catalysis, to establish key structure-function relationships across chemoselectivity, and regio- and stereo-control.
A PhD student on this project will join the groups of Dr Davies (catalysis and synthesis) and Dr Peacock (metallopeptides).
https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/davies
https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/peacock

The Midlands Integrative Biosciences Training Partnership (MIBTP) is a BBSRC-funded doctoral training partnership between the Universities of Warwick, Birmingham and Leicester. It delivers innovative, world-class research training across the Life Sciences to boost the growing Bioeconomy across the UK.