ABSTRACT
All life processes are dependent on the functional and structural versatility of proteins. At the molecular level, structural scaffolds, selective transport of molecules, sensing and signaling, mechanochemical locomotion, energy transduction, etc. bear evidence of the functional plasticity of proteins. Essentially all biotransformations of chemical species are catalyzed by enzymes, which govern the fluxes of reactants in the myriad of simultaneous chemical reactions in living cells. The enzymatic functions are effected with exquisite specificities and optimized catalytic efficiencies. This chapter is focused on the optimization of directed enzyme evolution based on the creation of mutant populations and identification of variants with novel activities.
