Engineering metalloenzymes with genetic code expansion by Prof. Alexandria Deliz Liang (Uni Zurich) - CH-635
Event details
| Date | 07.05.2026 |
| Hour | 16:15 › 17:15 |
| Speaker | Prof. Alexandria Deliz Liang |
| Location | |
| Category | Conferences - Seminars |
| Event Language | English |
Abstract:
Metalloenzymes are compelling targets for protein engineering. While traditional mutagenesis with the 20 canonical amino acids has enabled significant advances, its chemical scope remains limited. The incorporation of non-canonical amino acids (ncAAs) into proteins has the potential to expand the chemistry accessible through mutagenesis and enable precise control through mutations that are more finely tuned than those achieved with canonical amino acid mutagenesis. However, this strategy remains underexplored. To expand this potential, we engineered new tools for the incorporation of key ncAAs and have applied these tools to demonstrate improved activity over several properties, including expanding the catalytic pH range, increasing the redox potential of metallocofactors, and accelerating the rate-limiting step of catalysis. These results establish ncAA mutagenesis as valuable tool for metalloenzyme engineering, capable of improvements inaccessible through canonical mutagenesis.
Speaker's biography:
Alexandria (Ali) Deliz Liang is an assistant professor at University of Zurich. Prior to becoming an assistant professor, Ali studied at New College of Florida and completed her PhD in the laboratory of Stephen J. Lippard (MIT, US). She conducted two postdoctoral fellowships, first in the laboratory of Jason W. Chin (LMB, UK) and then in the laboratory of Thomas R. Ward (University of Basel, CH). Her laboratory focuses on research related to enzyme engineering and genetic code expansion.
Lab's website: https://www.adl-lab.com/ali
Metalloenzymes are compelling targets for protein engineering. While traditional mutagenesis with the 20 canonical amino acids has enabled significant advances, its chemical scope remains limited. The incorporation of non-canonical amino acids (ncAAs) into proteins has the potential to expand the chemistry accessible through mutagenesis and enable precise control through mutations that are more finely tuned than those achieved with canonical amino acid mutagenesis. However, this strategy remains underexplored. To expand this potential, we engineered new tools for the incorporation of key ncAAs and have applied these tools to demonstrate improved activity over several properties, including expanding the catalytic pH range, increasing the redox potential of metallocofactors, and accelerating the rate-limiting step of catalysis. These results establish ncAA mutagenesis as valuable tool for metalloenzyme engineering, capable of improvements inaccessible through canonical mutagenesis.
Speaker's biography:
Alexandria (Ali) Deliz Liang is an assistant professor at University of Zurich. Prior to becoming an assistant professor, Ali studied at New College of Florida and completed her PhD in the laboratory of Stephen J. Lippard (MIT, US). She conducted two postdoctoral fellowships, first in the laboratory of Jason W. Chin (LMB, UK) and then in the laboratory of Thomas R. Ward (University of Basel, CH). Her laboratory focuses on research related to enzyme engineering and genetic code expansion.
Lab's website: https://www.adl-lab.com/ali
Practical information
- Informed public
- Free