BIOCHEMISTRY

Engineering new enzyme functions, biosynthesis of non-natural products, and characterization of enzyme mechanism

The central theme of research in the Buller lab is understanding of how to engineer new biocatalytic reactions. We believe this is the ultimate test in our understanding of enzymology. Moreover, enzymes offer a green, sustainable route to performing difficult synthetic transformations. To do this, we combine the raw power of protein directed evolution with insights gleaned from decades of detailed mechistic and bioinformatic studies. Our long-term goals are to use these new catalysts to offer unique shortcuts to synthetic routes, to probe biological systems, and to engineer pathways for the sustainable biosynthesis of natural product analogs with altered pharmacologic properties.