Understanding how PLP enzymes work and how to harness them
Official title: Understanding the specificity and non-native catalytic activity of PLP-dependent enzymes
Funded at University of California Santa Barbara · NIH-11537706 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers at UC Santa Barbara are studying PLP-dependent enzymes to better understand their chemistry and how they can be used to make useful, complex molecules for medicines.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Santa Barbara NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Santa Barbara, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2023 |
| Project end | May 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $15,144 |
| NIH project number | 3R35GM151205-04S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11537706 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Any patient-related benefit would come indirectly through future drug development enabled by improved biocatalysts and manufacturing processes.
✕Less likely to help
Direct patient participation is not described; the project is primarily basic science and method development in enzymes.
What this research studies
PLP-dependent enzymes perform a wide range of chemical reactions essential to biology, and this project seeks to uncover how they form and break carbon-carbon bonds. Through discovery, mechanistic studies, and practical biocatalysis, the work aims to predict and tailor enzyme activity, including a newly identified Mannich cyclase, to enable new routes for making chiral amines and noncanonical amino acids. The team combines laboratory experiments with data-driven insights to expand the toolkit of biocatalysts for therapeutic development and sustainable chemistry. The overarching goal is to translate fundamental enzyme knowledge into reliable catalytic applications with real-world impact.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could lead to new, greener methods to produce complex drug molecules and important building blocks for therapeutics.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work on PLP enzymes has expanded our understanding and created viable biocatalysts; this project advances the frontier with four enzyme types, including a novel Mannich cyclase.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hai, Yang — University of California Santa Barbara
- Study coordinator: Hai, Yang
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.