The SuCCEED (Sustainable Commodity Chemicals through Enzyme Engineering and Design) research team is dedicated to pioneering sustainable methods for producing commodity chemicals. Our interdisciplinary approach leverages expertise in enzyme discovery, metabolic engineering, synthetic biology, and process optimization to develop environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional chemical manufacturing processes. Below is a curated selection of our recent publications, showcasing the advancements and contributions we’ve made in the field.
Messiha, HL., Scrutton, NS., & Leys, D. (2023). High‐titer Bio‐Styrene Production Afforded by Whole‐cell Cascade Biotransformation. ChemCatChem. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1002/cctc.202201102
Messiha HL, Payne KAP, Scrutton NS, Leys D. A Biological Route to Conjugated Alkenes: Microbial Production of Hepta-1,3,5-triene. ACS Synth Biol. 2021 Feb 19;10(2):228-235. doi: 10.1021/acssynbio.0c00464
Aleku GA, Saaret A, Bradshaw-Allen RT, Derrington SR, Titchiner GR, Gostimskaya I, Gahloth D, Parker DA, Hay S, Leys D. Enzymatic C-H activation of aromatic compounds through CO2 fixation. Nat Chem Biol. 2020 Nov;16(11):1255-1260. doi: 10.1038/s41589-020-0603-0
Payne KAP, Marshall SA, Fisher K, Cliff MJ, Cannas DM, Yan C, Heyes DJ, Parker DA, Larrosa I, Leys D. Enzymatic Carboxylation of 2-Furoic Acid Yields 2,5-Furandicarboxylic Acid (FDCA). ACS Catal. 2019 Apr 5;9(4):2854-2865. doi: 10.1021/acscatal.8b04862
Aleku GA, Prause C, Bradshaw-Allen RT, Plasch K, Glueck SM, Bailey SS, Payne KAP, Parker DA, Faber K, Leys D. Terminal Alkenes from Acrylic Acid Derivatives via Non-Oxidative Enzymatic Decarboxylation by Ferulic Acid Decarboxylases. ChemCatChem. 2018 Sep 7;10(17):3736-3745. doi: 10.1002/cctc.201800643
Bailey SS, Payne KAP, Fisher K, Marshall SA, Cliff MJ, Spiess R, Parker DA, Rigby SEJ, Leys D. The role of conserved residues in Fdc decarboxylase in prenylated flavin mononucleotide oxidative maturation, cofactor isomerization, and catalysis. J Biol Chem. 2018 Feb 16;293(7):2272-2287. doi: 10.1074/jbc.RA117.000881
Matthews S, Belcher JD, Tee KL, Girvan HM, McLean KJ, Rigby SE, Levy CW, Leys D, Parker DA, Blankley RT, Munro AW. Catalytic Determinants of Alkene Production by the Cytochrome P450 Peroxygenase OleTJE. J Biol Chem. 2017 Mar 24;292(12):5128-5143. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M116.762336
Marshall SA, Fisher K, Ní Cheallaigh A, White MD, Payne KA, Parker DA, Rigby SE, Leys D. Oxidative Maturation and Structural Characterization of Prenylated FMN Binding by UbiD, a Decarboxylase Involved in Bacterial Ubiquinone Biosynthesis. J Biol Chem. 2017 Mar 17;292(11):4623-4637. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M116.762732
Payne KA, White MD, Fisher K, Khara B, Bailey SS, Parker D, Rattray NJ, Trivedi DK, Goodacre R, Beveridge R, Barran P, Rigby SE, Scrutton NS, Hay S, Leys D. New cofactor supports α,β-unsaturated acid decarboxylation via 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition. Nature. 2015 Jun 25;522(7557):497-501. doi: 10.1038/nature14560
White MD, Payne KA, Fisher K, Marshall SA, Parker D, Rattray NJ, Trivedi DK, Goodacre R, Rigby SE, Scrutton NS, Hay S, Leys D. UbiX is a flavin prenyltransferase required for bacterial ubiquinone biosynthesis. Nature. 2015 Jun 25;522(7557):502-6. doi: 10.1038/nature14559
Belcher J, McLean KJ, Matthews S, Woodward LS, Fisher K, Rigby SEJ, Nelson DR, Potts D, Baynham MT, Parker DA, Leys D, Munro AW. Structure and biochemical properties of the alkene producing cytochrome P450 OleTJE (CYP152L1) from the Jeotgalicoccus sp. 8456 bacterium. J Biol Chem. 2014 Mar 7;289(10):6535-6550. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M113.527325