title: Solid-State Metalloproteins-An Alternative to Immobilisation.
abstract: This commentary outlines a protein engineering approach as an alternative to immobilisation developed in our laboratory. We use a recombinant silk protein into which metal active sites can be incorporated to produce solid-state metalloprotein materials. The silk protein directly coordinates to the metal centres providing control over their reactivity akin to that seen in naturally occurring metalloproteins. These solid-state materials are remarkably stable at a range of temperatures and different solvent conditions. I discuss the genesis of this approach and highlight areas where such solid-state materials could find application.
authors.affiliation: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Black Mountain, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia. trevor.rapson@csiro.au.
authors.forename: Trevor D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Rapson
mesh_terms: D055162:Biocatalysis; D015374:Biosensing Techniques; D008667:Metalloproteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D047011:Silk / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D008667:Metalloproteins; D047011:Silk
keywords: biocatalysis; biosensors; de novo engineering; industrial biotechnology; silk