Chapter 26 - Finding novel enzymes by in silico bioprospecting approach

Abstract

Enzymes are natural catalysts that accelerate a chemical reaction. They are used in various industries such as food and beverages, animal nutrition, cosmetics, medication/pharmaceuticals, and research. The enzyme demand and growth are due to increased consumption of food and beverages; rising health-care costs; personalized medicine, routine medical care, and growth in bioenergy sector. There is a constant demand of newer and better enzymes. Recent reports suggested that it is possible to yield novel and efficient enzymes using in silico bioprospecting approaches. This chapter describes bioprospecting approach, especially in silico approach that has shown promising results in finding novel and better enzymes. The in silico bioprospecting and characterization approach includes the database exploration to obtain novel candidates, followed by screening, analyzing, and shortlisting them using bioinformatics tools. It helps to understand the structure–function relationship and predict the roles of different domains and subunits in the enzyme function and related properties.