The team of Prof. Liu Haiyan and Prof. Chen Quan from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) published a study regarding protein design in the scientific journal Nature on February 10, Beijing time.

Proteins are the foundation of life and the main executors of cellular functions, with their structures and functions determined by their amino acid sequences.

Currently, proteins of stable three-dimensional structures are almost all natural ones, whose amino acid sequences are results of long-time natural evolution.

When structures and functions of natural proteins fail to fulfill industrial or biomedical needs, it is needed to design proteins to provide the missed functions.

According to the team from USTC, they have created a new de novo protein design method named SCUBA (for Side Chain-Unknown Backbone Arrangement) by adopting a data-driven strategy, which constitutes an innovation of the bottom technology of protein design, and lays a solid foundation for the future design of functional proteins for industrial catalysis, biomaterials, and biomedical uses.

Prof. Liu Haiyan (2nd R) from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) poses for a photo with his team members at the laboratory in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province,  Jan. 21, 2022. (Xinhua/Zhang Duan)

A staff member of the team led by Prof. Liu Haiyan and Prof. Chen Quan from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC)  conducts an experiment at the laboratory in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province,  Jan. 21, 2022. (Xinhua/Zhang Duan)

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