Isomerase is a leading innovation partner in the field of enzyme engineering services, supporting all stages from discovery to development.
Overview of our services
Enzyme discovery projects often start with literature or screening evidence suggesting activity associated with a microbial strain. A discovery project then involves a range of activities from genome sequencing, transcriptional analysis, and bioinformatics-guided approaches to finding enzyme sequences for expression and analysis.
Assay development for enzyme discovery
We can design new assays to find and assess the activity of enzyme preparations or modify and adapt previously developed assays. Ultimately, our aim is to identify the enzyme sequence encoding the activity of interest. Typically, this is after expression in an IsoChassis® microbial strain such as Escherichia coli or Pichia pastoris.
Enhancing catalytic function
Enzyme engineering describes the process whereby the amino acid sequence of an enzyme is altered to improve or adjust its catalytic capability. This can involve rationally guided, targeted changes to an enzyme sequence, supported by bioinformatics and/or methods which rely on iterative selection of properties (e.g., directed evolution).
Our platforms
Isomerase has expertise and technology platforms that enable the manipulation of simple and complex enzymes. From the manipulation of modular multi-domain polyketide synthases to the directed evolution of individual cytochrome P450 oxidases, we work across a wide range of target systems.
Scaled production
After process engineering and optimisation, the microbial strain can then be used to produce the product of interest at scale.
IsoZym® bioproduction platform
Encapsulating all of our enzyme optimisation and engineering capabilities is our end-to-end bioproduction platform, IsoZym.
From enzyme discovery to scaled production and technology transfer to a CDMO, we have several core technologies, including:
- EvoSelect®, our machine learning for enzyme engineering platform.
- IsoChassis® suite of industrial microbial production hosts.
- ProteoSynth® for Cell-Free Protein Synthesis (CFPS).
Example enzyme discovery and engineering services
Projects that make use of our enzyme services include:
- Enzyme Identification or discovery – Genome sequencing of a microbial strain or strains with literature evidence of an enzyme activity. Bioinformatic analysis to generate a shortlist of candidate enzyme sequences. Expression and assay of the resulting enzymes to confirm the presence of desired biocatalytic activity.
- Engineering of the active site of a biocatalytic enzyme - based on in silico structural prediction and/or medium to high throughput assessment of mutant enzymes to look for changes in the product profile.
- Domain engineering - for example, a complex modular enzyme, to bring in enzyme domains to alter the product of a multi-enzyme synthetase to produce a different polyketide or peptide.
- Hybrid enzymes - for example, merging two enzymes with identified domains encoding different functions, such as glycosyltransferase substrate recognition domains.
What are the fundamentals?
Many techniques can be used for enzyme engineering, including directed evolution, rational design, and computational modelling. Enzyme engineering enables the development of more efficient and sustainable processes, leading to cost and/or environmental benefits.
Enzyme engineering can enable the development of new products and services such as more efficient routes to APIs, bioremediation technologies, and enzyme-based contamination sensors.
Our enzyme services can be used to enhance the performance of enzymes for specific applications. These use cases include improving the rate or specificity of reaction steps in the production of pharmaceuticals or enabling enzymes to work under specific conditions, such as high temperatures or extreme pH levels. As a result, we create more efficient processes, meaning reduced costs and improved product quality.
Why is Enzyme Engineering important?
Enzyme engineering can enable the optimisation of enzymes for specific applications, resulting in improved performance, efficiency, and sustainability. It can also enable the development of more sustainable processes that help to reduce waste and energy consumption.
Additionally, enzyme engineering also provides a competitive advantage in enabling the development of proprietary enzyme variants that are optimized for specific applications.
Why choose Isomerase for enzyme engineering services?
Isomerase offers a range of innovative enzyme engineering services and platform technologies across bioinformatics, enzyme discovery, and enzyme manufacture. We have proprietary software, strains, and genome sequences that can support enzyme development projects.
We aim to support partners with all aspects of process discovery and development from concept through to scaled manufacture.