Research projects in Land Group

Biodiversity of carbon monoxide dehydrogenases

NiFe carbon monoxide dehydrogenase (NiFe-CODH) is an ancient enzyme that catalyzes the reversible interconversion between carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. This enzyme plays a pivotal role in many anaerobic organisms both for carbon fixation and for energy conversion. CODH is a diverse enzyme family and many parts of their phylogenetic tree are still uncharted territory. In this project, we employ a bioinformatic approach in order to identify genes of interest followed by biochemical and biophysical characterization of novel CODHs.

Alternative evolution of metalloenzymes

In this project, we combine ancestral reconstruction with directed evolution in order to present new evolutionary trajectories to readily evolvable ancestors of present day enzymes. This is done with the purpose of creating superior enzymes with increased activity and stability that are fit for industrial applications. With this approach, we also aim to alter other important parameters like catalytic bias and reaction specificity.