Optimising enzyme function by directed evolution

The past decade has seen a revolution in our ability to engineer designer enzymes using genetic tools that mimic evolution on a laboratory timescale. Many excellent examples of directed evolution applied to a wide range of enzymes have clearly demonstrated its future role in adapting enzymes for use in the chemical industry. Recent advances in 'smart' library design and computational screening are now permitting much deeper searches of sequence space, which potentially increases the extent to which enzyme function can be modified.