TUMCS | Rafał Białek | 01.08.2023
Dr. Stacy Reginald
Image: Jan Winter / TUM
Redox enzymes catalyze numerous biological processes that are also relevant for a variety of applications, including energy conversion, biosensing, and electrosynthesis of complex molecules. The intrinsic lability of enzymes that gradually lose catalytic activity over time, however, restricts their operational half-life for practical large-scale application of this sustainable and incredibly energy-saving system. Moreover, enzymes are nanometer-sized macromolecules, that must be properly aligned with the electrode surface for efficient electron transfer and substrate access to the active site regardless of the electron transfer mechanism, direct or mediated, which typically necessitates laborious procedures. The goal of Dr. Stacy’s Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship project is to develop a reversible immobilization approach that can attach enzymes on an electrode surface in a defined orientation and permit their controlled release on demand upon stimulation (ReversE). A strong interdisciplinary approach involving molecular biology, chemistry, and electrochemical techniques will be explored to develop this concept of orientation-controlled reversible enzyme immobilization on a solid support. This will open up the possibility for enzyme regeneration, which will be groundbreaking in the context of sustainable deployment of enzyme‒electrode systems.