Biocatalysts : cell factories and enzymes

Biotechnological processes use both microorganisms, such as yeast or Escherichia coli, and enzyme systems. In this lecture, we present the different families of enzymes most commonly used, the history of enzyme engineering and the high-throughput methods used to modify them, with the aim of improving their activity, broadening their substrate specificity, increasing their resistance, etc. These modern methods are generally classified under the term "directed evolution". These modern methods are generally classified as directed evolution methods: random mutagenesis (pro-error PCR); site-saturation mutagenesis; genetic shuffling. Several concrete examples of recent work in directed evolution illustrate the power of these methods. Finally, several examples of industrial applications (production of drugs, fructose syrup, acrylamide, vitamins, antibiotics, etc.) are presented.