Catalysis biological models

The catalytic properties of Mn enzyme structural models are not limited to the natural substrates of the enzymes they mimic. One could classify this catalysis based upon the substrates as biological mimetic catalysis or biomimetic catalysis [175] and biologically inspired catalysis or bioinspired catalysis [176], Unlike biomimetic catalysis, its bioinspired counterpart capitalizes on nature s findings to change nonnatural substrates chemically and, perhaps, unravel novel chemistry. 

Along with the development of these enabling biological methods, catalysis and other technologies (such as computer modeling and expert systems), which already have a major influence on the chemicals industries, have also made major technical advances. The integration of biotechnology with these more traditional areas represents a means to capture the technical advances across a number of chemicaIs-related disciplines. 

The discovery of nbozymes (Section 28 11) in the late 1970s and early 1980s by Sidney Altman of Yale University and Thomas Cech of the University of Colorado placed the RNA World idea on a more solid footing Altman and Cech independently discovered that RNA can catalyze the formation and cleavage of phosphodiester bonds—exactly the kinds of bonds that unite individual ribonucleotides in RNA That plus the recent discovery that ribosomal RNA cat alyzes the addition of ammo acids to the growing peptide chain in protein biosynthesis takes care of the most serious deficiencies in the RNA World model by providing precedents for the catalysis of biologi cal processes by RNA... 

Cecil, T. R., et al., 1992. RNA catalysis by a group I ribozyme Developing a model for transition-state stabilization. Journal of Biological Chemistry... 

Tantillo, D. J. Chen, J. G. Houk, K. N. Theozymes and Compuzymes Theoretical Models for Biological Catalysis Curr. Op. Chem. Biol. 1998,2 743-750. 

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