Engineering the translation machinery
In this research area (2), we resculpt the active site of the translation apparatus to promote the polymerization reaction of the building blocks that we design in research area (1).
In this research area (2), we resculpt the active site of the translation apparatus to promote the polymerization reaction of the building blocks that we design in research area (1).
This work will catalog the impact of optimizing multiple translation components together (EF-P, EF-Tu, EF-G, tRNA, and ribosome), which is expected to provide utility for repurposing the translation apparatus for novel unnatural monomers. Our efforts in engineering the translation machinery will establish novel mutants for optimal incorporation of new building blocks.
This work will catalog the impact of optimizing multiple translation components together (EF-P, EF-Tu, EF-G, tRNA, and ribosome), which is expected to provide utility for repurposing the translation apparatus for novel unnatural monomers. Our efforts in engineering the translation machinery will establish novel mutants for optimal incorporation of new building blocks.
Steps include: charging tRNAs with aminoacyl tRNA synthetases, binding of elongation factor Tu (EF-Tu) to the aminoacyl-tRNA, delivery of the aminoacyl-tRNA to an open coding channel (e.g., the amber codon, UAG), and amino acid (AA) acceptance by the ribosome.