Single Cell Screen for Enzyme Expression and Activity

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Diversa leverages its proprietary technology in gene library generation and gene evolution to provide robust bio-catalytic solutions across a broad spectrum of chemical industries. The techniques used for enzyme discovery and evolution necessitate the screening of extremely large numbers (6log10 - 9log10 clones) in a high throughput format. Improvements to throughput and sensitivity are key issues in increasing the success rate of these screens. The goal of this project is to develop a general technique to correlate enzyme activity and expression levels in a high throughput and non-intrusive manner. We propose a novel method to expand the range of screenable enzymes and enhance the sensitivity and reproducibility of activity screens. We expect these advances in screening technology to increase Diversa's capacity to produce new enzymes for agricultural, pharmaceutical and chemical applications. These enzymes will enable efficient biochemical reactions to enhance the productivity and reduce the environmental impact of many US companies. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION: NOT AVAILABLE