The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1993

Protein design
Tailor-made proteins

Enzymes can now be adapted for different industrial processes. Researchers can exploit new strategies for developing pharmaceuticals. Attempts are being made by modifying plant proteins to develop strains which can utilize atmospheric carbon dioxide more efficiently during photosynthesis.

With protein design, it has for example been possible to improve the stability of an enzyme which is an important component of detergents, by specifically changing an amino acid (orange) close to the catalytic region (yellow). The enzyme can thereby survive the chemicals also needed to make our clothes clean.

Contents:
Introduction » Site-directed mutagenesis reprograms DNA » Tailor-made proteins » The PCR method – a copying machine for DNA molecules » The PCR method already of great use » DNA and the genetic code » Landmarks in the history of gene technology » Further reading »
Based on materials from the 1993 Nobel Poster for Chemistry. Credits and references for the poster »