Enzymes for bioengineering

Enzymes are the workhorses of metabolism, catalyzing chemical transformations that would otherwise be very slow.  Enzymes therefore offer many biotechnological applications in the chemical and food industries.  The Nikolau group has focused on key enzyme systems that have applications in the emerging biorenewable chemical industry. The goals of this research is to two-fold: 1) understand the structure-function relationship of these enzymes systems so as to improve their biotechnological applications; and 2) incorporate novel enzyme systems into appropriate hosts to bioengineer novel metabolic products.  This research is focused on the following enzyme systems:

  1. Wax synthase
  2. Fatty acid elongase
  3. 3-ketoacyl-ACP synthase
  4. Acyl-ACP thioesterase
  5. Acetoacetyl-CoA thiolases

Present researchers

Libuse Brachova, associate scientist and lab manager
Alexis Campbell, associate scientist
Kiran-kumar Shivaiah, PhD student, Biochemistry
Naazneen Sofeo, PhD student, Biochemistry

Past researchers

Daolin Cheng, PhD student, Interdepartmental Genetics
Kayla Flyckt, MS student, Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology
Shivani Garg, postdoctoral research associate
Huanan Jin, postdoctoral research associate
Fuyuan Jing, postdoctoral research associate
Chris Severn, MS student, Interdepartmental Genetics
Ryan Sturms, postdoctoral research associate
Bryon Upton, postdoctoral research associate
Marna Yandeau-Nelson, associate scientist