Molecular engineering articles from across Nature Portfolio

Bergenin is a rare C-glycoside of 4-O-methyl gallic acid with multiple pharmacological properties. Here, the authors report the elucidation of the biosynthetic pathway of bergenin in Ardisia japonica and its bioproduction by engineered E. coli.

Achieving cost-competitive bio-based processes requires development of stable and selective biocatalysts. In this Perspective, the authors propose an integrated solution combining growth-coupled selection with machine learning and automated workflows to accelerate development pipelines.

Here, the authors show that biomolecular condensates can enhance enzymatic rates by creating distinct solvent environments compared to the surrounding solution, and this emergent property can manifest within assemblies as small as nanometers.

Inducible gene expression systems can be used to control the expression of a gene of interest by means of small molecules. Here the authors present CASwitch, a synthetic gene circuit platform enhancing inducible gene expression systems by reducing leakiness and boosting fold induction, for real world applications like gene therapy vector production and biosensors.

Recent combinations of structure-based and sequence-based calculations and machine learning tools have dramatically improved protein engineering and design. Although designing complex protein structures remains challenging, these methods have enabled the design of therapeutically relevant activities, including vaccine antigens, antivirals and drug-delivery nano-vehicles.

The exceptionally photostable green fluorescent protein StayGold has been monomerized in different laboratories, which has generated three unique monomeric variants that will enable new imaging applications.

Vincent Courdavault and Nicolas Papon highlight two articles in Nature, published in 2006 and 2013, that reported the biosynthesis of a complex natural plant product to treat malaria in engineered yeast.