ABSTRACT
The attributes of any biological system, whether it is as simple as a bacterium or as complex as a human being, are dictated in part by its principal genetic material, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). Perhaps one significant outcome of this accumulated knowledge base is the ability to redesign proteins to improve their functional properties in a process termed “protein engineering”. It can be argued that Mother Nature is the ultimate and most efficient engineer of protein structure and hence should be relied upon for the functional improvement of proteins. The evolutionary process that created the current biodiversity can be considered a form of genetic engineering, and it clearly has been successful for some, as witnessed by their survival and propagation. Molecular genetics have, however, improved the process by providing tools that allow an objective analysis of genotype well in advance and through a much simpler process than assessing phenotype.
