Enzymes in Synthetic Biology

Nigel Scrutton is Director of the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology (MIB), and Professor of Enzymology and Biophysical Chemistry in the School of Chemistry at the University of Manchester. He has made major contributions to the study of enzyme catalysis, the mechanisms and structures of enzymes and the photochemistry of photoreceptor proteins. His group has pioneered investigations that have led to both deep understanding and recognition of the general importance of quantum tunnelling and protein dynamics in enzyme H-transfer and conformational ensemble sampling in electron transfer reactions. This has involved the development of new biophysical approaches for reaction kinetics analysis including kinetic isotope effect studies, their integration into structural and computational programmes, and extension of theory. He has also made important contributions to enzyme kinetics, coenzyme chemistry, protein engineering, directed evolution, synthetic biology, biological engineering, biocatalysis and metabolic engineering, including the first rational redesign of the coenzyme specificity of an enzyme and the discovery of new riboflavin cofactors. He is currently director of the synthetic biology research centre (SYNBIOCHEM), which specializes in the engineering of biology for chemicals and materials production.