Sagar D. Khare

NEWS AND VIEWS 08 July 2025 A computational workflow designs proteins with catalytic efficiencies comparable to those of some natural enzymes — a landmark result for the field. Enzymes are proteins that catalyse the chemical transformations essential to life. Through billions of years of evolution, nature has sculpted them to be remarkably efficient and specific for their substrates and reactions.

Abstract Recent experiments have shown that enzyme activity can preserved in harsh environments by complexing enzyme with polymer into a Protein Polymer Hybrid (PPH). In a successful PPH, heteropolymer strands bind to the enzyme surface and restrain the folded protein without adversely affecting the binding and active sites. It is believed that hybridization is driven by noncovalent interactions at the enzyme surface including hydrophobicity and electrostatics.