This project uses in vitro protein evolution and a novel Rubisco-dependent-E. coli selection system to bioengineer mutant forms of RuBisCO with improvements in catalysis and holoenzyme biogenesis.

The powerful protein engineering tool of laboratory evolution is being applied to RuBisCO. Laboratory evolution is a powerful protein engineering tool. Ongoing laboratory evolution research with RuBisCO is using our novel Escherichia coli and newly developed expression systems to screen mutated RuBisCO gene libraries to identify variants with enhanced assembly properties and/or improved catalysis.

Suggested reading

• Mueller-Cajar and Whitney S.M. (2008) Directing the evolution of RuBisCO and RuBisCO activase - first impressions of a new tool for photosynthesis research. Photosynthesis Research, 98, 667-675.