Enzyme Engineering by Directed Evolution

The strategy nature uses to adapt organisms to new demands is evolution. According to Darwinian theory, the fantastic diversity of life was created by random mutation and natural selection111. The power and simplicity of the evolution 

10 PRODUCE A MUTANT SPECTRUM OF SELF-REPRODUCING TEMPLATES 

Without an understanding of the theory of evolution, one may be tempted to consider in vitro evolution an irrational, trial-and-error approach to protein design. However, the beauty of the structural architectures and sophisticated functions that nature has created attest to the power of the evolutionary design strategy. Many theoretical studies of evolution explain this process based on physical principles. The 

Couple genotype to phenotype e.g. by expression of the genes in recombinant cells 

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Oliver M, Voigt CA, Arnold FH. Enzyme engineering by directed evolution. In Enzyme Catalysis in Organic Synthesis Drauz, K. and Waldmann, H. (Eds.), Wiley-VCH, Gmbh, Weinheim. 1, 95, 2002. 

M. Oliver, G.A. Voigt, F.H. Arnold, Enzyme engineering by directed evolution, in K. Drauz, H. Waldmann (Eds.), Enzyme Catalysis in Organic Synthesis 1 (2002) 95-138 seconded., Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH, Weinheim, Germany, 2002. 

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