What are the Challenges in Protein Engineering for Catalysis?
Despite its potential, protein engineering faces several challenges:
Protein Stability: Engineered proteins must maintain their stability under the conditions required for catalysis, which can include extreme temperatures, pH levels, or the presence of organic solvents. Activity and Specificity: Achieving the desired balance between catalytic activity and substrate specificity can be difficult. Mutations that enhance one property may negatively impact another. Scale-Up: Translating lab-scale successes to industrial-scale processes requires overcoming issues related to protein expression, purification, and long-term stability.
