The predoctoral researcher Diletta Arceri, from the Biotransformation and Bioactive Molecules group, will defend her thesis on 17th April at 11:30h in Aula Magna of the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Barcelona.
Title: New biocatalysts based on natural and artificial cupin metalloproteins
Directors: Pere Clapés and Carlos Jose Moreno Fontalba
Thesis committee: Santiago Imperial, Zvjezdana Findrik Blazevic and Fernando López Gallego
Abstract:
This doctoral thesis examines the catalytic potential of selected natural and engineered cupin metalloenzymes for carbon-nitrogen (C–N) and carbon-carbon (C–C) bond-forming reactions by integrating experimental studies with mechanistic analysis and computationally guided strategies. The work focuses on two representative cupin systems: the dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) lyases DddKPu from Pelagibacter Ubique HTCC1062 and DddQ from, R. Lacuscaerulensis ITI_1157 and the thermostable cupin scaffold TM1459 from Thermotoga maritima.