Enzymes show off new moves
Enzymes are responsible for the chemical reactions that enable all forms of life. Whether it’s the archaea living in hot springs, the bacteria deep in our soil, the plants harnessing energy from the sun or all animals, including us humans, we are all united in our reliance on enzymes.
Understanding enzymatic chemistry enables us to tackle critical health and environmental problems, such as designing new therapeutics for diseases or using unique enzymatic capabilities for bioremediation. However, we have only skimmed the surface of learning the full scope of chemical reactions that are enzymatically catalyzed, the mysterious and intricate mechanisms that can be performed, and the dynamic motions enzymes undergo to accomplish their chemical tasks.
The presentations in this session will cover many exciting developments in enzymology, including recently discovered enzymatic functions, evidence for trapping long-anticipated enzymatic intermediates, insight into how various cofactors can enable unique reactions, and cutting-edge experimental approaches enabling us to understand better how enzymes dynamically function. There’s still a whole lot to learn about how enzymes get their jobs done.
Keywords: enzymes, enzyme mechanisms, structural biology, biochemistry, radical SAM enzymes, metalloenzymes, natural product biosynthesis
Who should attend: all who are fascinated by how enzymes can use some newly discovered tricks, handy cofactors and dynamic movements to carry out their chemistry
Theme song: “This is How We Do It” by Montell Jordan
This session is powered proteins, cofactors and coffee.
Talks
- Repairing enzymes using spare parts — Cathy Drennan, Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Machinery in motion: New insights into mitochondrial proteostasis — Gabriel Lander, Scripps Research
- Structural biology of natural product biosynthetic enzymes — Janet Smith, University of Michigan
- An aerobic strategy for C–H bond functionalization — Jennifer Bridwell–Rabb, University of Michigan
- Riboflavin catabolism: The destruction of an icon — Tadhg Begley, Texas A&M University
- Correlated motions in enzymes — Nozomi Ando, Cornell University
- Nickel pincer nucleotide: Biosynthesis and function — Robert Hausinger, Michigan State University
- Bacterial biosynthesis of natural products —Katherine Ryan, University of British Columbia
- Radical SAMs and the vast unexplored chemistry of RiPP natural products —Douglas Alan Mitchell, University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign
- The biosynthesis of lipoic acid: A saga of death, destruction and rebirth — Squire Booker, Penn State University
- Unraveling the secrets of radical SAM mechanisms — Joan Broderick, Montana State University
- How do aerobic organisms solve the oxygen sensitivity problem of [4Fe–4S] in radical SAM enzymes? — Hening Lin, Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Cornell University
Learn more
Check out all ten thematic symposia planned for the 2022 ASBMB annual meeting:
Enjoy reading ASBMB Today?
Become a member to receive the print edition four times a year and the digital edition monthly.
Learn moreFeatured jobs
from the ASBMB career center
Get the latest from ASBMB Today
Enter your email address, and we’ll send you a weekly email with recent articles, interviews and more.
Latest in Science
Science highlights or most popular articles
Serum lipids may predict early diabetes risk
Researchers found that levels of two key fatty acids may predict worsening tolerance for glucose, independent of body fat and insulin levels. In turn, these fatty acids may serve as early T2D biomarkers.
Sex and diet shape fat tissue lipid profiles in obesity
Researchers found that sex hormone levels and diet both influence inflammation and lipid composition in obesity.
Mapping the placenta’s hormone network
Study uncovers how the placenta actively metabolizes not only glucocorticoids but also novel androgens and progesterones, reshaping our understanding of pregnancy and its complications.
Biochemists and molecular biologists sweep major 2025 honors
Recent Nobel, MacArthur and Kimberly Prize honorees highlight the power of biochemistry and molecular biology to drive discovery, including immune tolerance, vaccine design and metabolic disease, and to advance medicine and improve human health.
Spider-like proteins spin defenses to control immunity
Researchers from Utrecht University discovered two distinct binding modes of a spider-shaped immune inhibitor found in serum.
A biological camera: How AI is transforming retinal imaging
AI is helping clinicians see a more detailed view into the eye, allowing them to detect diabetic retinopathy earlier and expand access through tele-ophthalmology. These advances could help millions see a clearer future.