Genetic code expansion is a powerful tool to extend the chemical diversity of proteins. Over the last decade, this method has been widely applied to modify proteins with over 100 non-canonical amino acids to study protein structure and impart new function. Because changing the function of proteins often requires precise tuning of the physico-chemical properties within active sites, genetic encoding of unnatural amino acids with xenobiotic groups is particular appealing.
This project will engineer new aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases to genetically encode un-natural amino acids with unusual chemical properties and apply them to produce valuable designer proteins for medicine, biotechnology and synthetic biology.

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