In April 2016 Manchester eScholar was replaced by the University of Manchester’s new Research Information Management System, Pure. In the autumn the University’s research outputs will be available to search and browse via a new Research Portal. Until then the University’s full publication record can be accessed via a temporary portal and the old eScholar content is available to search and browse via this archive.

Related resources

Search for item elsewhere

University researcher(s)

Academic department(s)

Structure-Guided Directed Evolution of Alkyltransferase Enzymes

Bennett, Matthew

[Thesis]. Manchester, UK: The University of Manchester; 2016.

Access to files

FULL-TEXT.PDF (pdf)

Abstract

Currently alkylation methods are dominated by synthetic procedures. The aim of this study has been to seek a greener, safer and more selective alternative by using directed evolution and cofactor manipulation to alter methyltransferases to selective alkyltransferases. The work focussed on the Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), Coclaurine-N-methyltransferase (CNMT) and Tetrahydroprotoberberine-cis-N-methyltransferase (TNMT) enzymes.

Layman's Abstract

The project aimed at producing fine chemicals in better ways through using naturally occuring enzymes. The focus of the work was to study how the enzymes worked and to use various techniques to improve their natural properties. Improved selectivity, which led to easier isolation of desirable products such as vanillin was achieved with the COMT enzyme. Whilst, study of another enzyme (CNMT) showed how this enzyme works.