Virtual Lecture: Photoenzymatic Catalysis – Using Light to Reveal New Enzyme Functions 

Lecture held on: November 29

Presenter

Prof. Todd K. Hyster – Department of Chemistry, Princeton University

In this lecture, Prof. Todd K. Hyster shared his group efforts to use light to expand the reactivity profile of enzymes. In this study, he exploited the photoexcited state of common biological cofactors, such as NADH and FMN to facilitate electron transfer to substrates bound within enzyme active sites. In other studies, he found that enzymes will electronically activate bound substrates for electron transfer. In the presence of common photoredox catalysts, this activation can be used to direct radical formation to enzyme active sites. Using these approaches, we can develop biocatalysts to solve long standing selectivity challenges in chemical synthesis.