Biotechnology

Access to synchrotron light is becoming increasingly important for researchers developing industrial applications of biotechnology, in such areas as bioremediation and biological sensors. Enzymes to degrade industrial and environmental pollutants are being designed to alter their substrate specificity by modification of the active sites of natural enzymes that degrade similar chemical moieties, by protien engineering based on the three dimensional structure of the native enzyme. These modified enzymes themselves or the genes that code for them can be inserted into biological organisms that can be used in the remediation of contaminated environments. These techniques can also be applied to the removal of toxic metals and the concentration of metals from low-grade ores. The engineering of the thermostability of enzymes used for industrial purposes at various temperature regimes can be carried based on structural information.

The design of insecticides with increased efficacy and species specificity is also being investigated through structural biology. The new classes of insecticides target insect hormone receptors, enabling the disruption of normal insect growth, by the design of agonists or antagonists to modulate the function of these receptors. Such biotechnological applications can have an enormous impact on the environment and the rural sector, for example by the control of specific insect pests in agriculture and livestock industries.