Electrochemically Driven Molybdoenzyme Catalysis. Enzymes that catalyse oxidation and reduction reactions need to exchange electrons with their substrate and this supply of electrons needs to be sustained. Artificially reconstituted systems can be developed where the enzyme is coupled with an electrode and the current (electrons) exchanged during the reaction are measured directly. In this project we will reveal whether some unusual and unexplained electrochemical phenomena seen before are relat ....Electrochemically Driven Molybdoenzyme Catalysis. Enzymes that catalyse oxidation and reduction reactions need to exchange electrons with their substrate and this supply of electrons needs to be sustained. Artificially reconstituted systems can be developed where the enzyme is coupled with an electrode and the current (electrons) exchanged during the reaction are measured directly. In this project we will reveal whether some unusual and unexplained electrochemical phenomena seen before are related to the properties of the enzymes themselves or the ways in which their experiments have been conducted.Read moreRead less
Molybdenum enzyme electrochemical communication. This project aims to understand the activity of three novel, but related, molybdenum enzymes, human mARC and its bacterial homologs YcbX and YiiM. The role of mARC in humans remains unknown twelve years after its discovery. All three enzymes catalyse the reduction of potentially harmful N-hydroxylated compounds and there is interest in this area from the perspective of drug design. This project will apply an electrochemical methodology to rapidly ....Molybdenum enzyme electrochemical communication. This project aims to understand the activity of three novel, but related, molybdenum enzymes, human mARC and its bacterial homologs YcbX and YiiM. The role of mARC in humans remains unknown twelve years after its discovery. All three enzymes catalyse the reduction of potentially harmful N-hydroxylated compounds and there is interest in this area from the perspective of drug design. This project will apply an electrochemical methodology to rapidly identify enzyme substrates and inhibitors. Molybdenum enzymes pervade all life forms and the outcomes of this research include a unified understanding of an emerging enzyme class involved in drug metabolism.Read moreRead less
Enzyme Electrochemical Communication. The ways that redox enzymes communicate with an electrochemical electrode are poorly understood and most systems rely on small molecule mediators as electron shuttles to complete the circuit. The few examples where direct (unmediated) enzyme electrochemistry has been achieved have relied on empirical experimental approaches in electrode modification. In this project a rational approach will be taken, starting with a mediated enzyme electrochemical system whi ....Enzyme Electrochemical Communication. The ways that redox enzymes communicate with an electrochemical electrode are poorly understood and most systems rely on small molecule mediators as electron shuttles to complete the circuit. The few examples where direct (unmediated) enzyme electrochemistry has been achieved have relied on empirical experimental approaches in electrode modification. In this project a rational approach will be taken, starting with a mediated enzyme electrochemical system which is then systematically deconstructed to produce a minimal enzyme-electrode that is stabilised by non-covalent forces and functions without a mediator. This rational approach will provide new routes to the direct enzyme electrochemistry of other enzyme systems as yet unexplored.Read moreRead less
Bioelectrochemical interconversion of the building blocks of life. This project aims to harness the efficiency of enzymes (Nature’s catalysts) by coupling them with an electrode for the electrochemical interconversion of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and formate; the organic building blocks of life. The significance of this research is that the efficient capture and reduction of carbon dioxide is an important quest in the environment and energy sectors. The expected outcomes of this project wi ....Bioelectrochemical interconversion of the building blocks of life. This project aims to harness the efficiency of enzymes (Nature’s catalysts) by coupling them with an electrode for the electrochemical interconversion of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and formate; the organic building blocks of life. The significance of this research is that the efficient capture and reduction of carbon dioxide is an important quest in the environment and energy sectors. The expected outcomes of this project will be an understanding of the reactivity of these enzymes and the conditions under which they may be utilised as part of a renewable electrochemical system. Benefits of this research should emerge in energy efficient technologies for generating fuels (formic acid) from waste products (carbon dioxide).Read moreRead less