Characterization of Chemically Modified Hyperthermophilic Enzymes for Chemical Syntheses and Bioremediation Reactions

Abstract

Remediation processes frequently involve species possessing limited solubility in water. We are interested in novel strategies that use molecularly modified enzymes with enhanced activity and stability for the remediation of recalcitrant compounds in organic solvents. The performance of naturally-occurring enzymes is usually quite limited in such organic environments. The primary objective of the current work is to gain a fundamental understanding of the molecular and catalytic properties of enzymes that have been chemically modified so that they are catalytically active and chemically-stable in organic solvents. The premise for this study is that stabilized and activated enzymes, which can function at hash chemical conditions, are optimally suited for bioremediation in nonaqueous media where substrates of interest are more soluble and processed with greater efficiency. This unique strategy is examined with respect to the degradation of chlorophenols and PCBs