Research Projects
Design of proteases
Within this project we are designing substrate specific de-novo proteases. We apply a python-based, own made computational pipeline to design new proteins. After we ordered the genes, we express them in yeast and are using a FACS based system (collaboration T. Eisenberg, University of Graz) to determine acitvity and specificity. Furthermore, the best variants will be improved by creating small libraries of them.
Altering selectivity of enzymes
Designing proteins to bind fluorescent dyes
In the FET-Open project ARTIBLED (PI: Gustav Oberdorfer) we are designing proteins to be highly stable and to bind organic flusorescent dyes.
ARTIBLED is inspired by highly efficient Bio-WLEDs based on Fluorescent Proteins (FPs), which are stable over weeks and beyond the state-of-the-art OP-WLEDs. However, the stability is limited by the intrinsic photodeactivation of FPs since natural chromophores were not matured by Nature to stand high photon flux excitations. Thus, there is an imperative need to enforce the evolution of photostable FPs directly prepared in bacteria. ARTIBLED proposes a radically new approach to prepare low-cost, highly efficient, and stable Bio-WLEDs by developing new biological synthesis tools to produce novel Artificial Fluorescent Proteins (AFPs) in bacteria, which will be achieved by combining tailored natural as well as de novo protein scaffolds with synthetic LED emitters (PLQY>50% with high photostabilities).