• Question: What are the new enzymes you discovered useful for?

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      Asked by Jack to Luke, John on 16 Jun 2016. This question was also asked by The Mantoniator.
      • Photo: Luke Williams

        Luke Williams answered on 16 Jun 2016:

        The enzymes that I discovered are all alcohol dehydrogenases or functionally similar. These enzymes catalyse alcohols into aldehydes or ketones, and also the reverse reaction too.

        Why is this useful? The key reason is producing alcohols is a major part of medicine manufacture, as a large number of them will have alcohol groups either in the final molecule or as an intermediate step.

        Other uses include production of advanced biofuels like biobutanol rather than bioethanol, production of precursors to biopolymers, and pretty much anywhere that a chemist may want to do the above reaction, which is relatively common.

      • Photo: John Fossey

        John Fossey answered on 16 Jun 2016:

        I did not discover any enzymes

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