Biotransformation and Bioactive Molecules

Our group explores the design, production, evaluation, and evolutionary analysis of proteins for applications in biocatalysis and the modulation of biological activity. We integrate computational methods—such as protein-ligand complex modeling and ancestral sequence reconstruction—with a comprehensive range of experimental techniques. These include in vitro directed evolution, expression in recombinant strains, and biophysical and structural analyses using circular dichroism, calorimetry, dynamic light scattering (DLS), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). This multidisciplinary approach enables the development of optimized biocatalysts and bioactive molecules. We focus on enzymes and intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs/IDRs), studying their function and evolution through structural and dynamic analyses to elucidate mechanisms of action and molecular recognition. Our research supports rational protein engineering, addresses fundamental questions on the origin of life,