Increasing the Soluble Expression and Whole-Cell Activity of the Plastic-Degrading Enzyme MHETase through Consensus Design.

The mono(2-hydroxyethyl) terephthalate hydrolase (MHETase) from carries out the second step in the enzymatic depolymerization of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) plastic into the monomers terephthalic acid (TPA) and ethylene glycol (EG). Despite its potential industrial and environmental applications, poor recombinant expression of MHETase has been an obstacle to its industrial application. To overcome this barrier, we developed an assay allowing for the medium-throughput quantification of MHETase activity in cell lysates and whole-cell suspensions, which allowed us to screen a library of engineered variants.

Harnessing cholesterol uptake of malaria parasites for therapeutic applications.

Parasites, such as the malaria parasite P. falciparum, are critically dependent on host nutrients. Interference with nutrient uptake can lead to parasite death and, therefore, serve as a successful treatment strategy.