Despite its potential, enzyme engineering faces several challenges:
Complexity of Protein Structure: The intricate 3D structure of enzymes makes it difficult to predict the effects of mutations accurately. Trade-offs: Enhancing one property of an enzyme might negatively impact another. For example, increasing thermal stability might reduce catalytic activity. Screening and Selection: Identifying the best variants from a large library can be time-consuming and resource-intensive. Scalability: Translating successful small-scale laboratory results to industrial-scale applications can be challenging.
