Enzyme engineering improves catalytic efficiency and enantioselectivity of hydroxynitrile lyase for promiscuous retro-nitroaldolase activity.

Protein engineering to improve promiscuous catalytic activity is important for biocatalytic application of enzymes in green synthesis. We uncovered the significance of binding site residues in Arabidopsis thaliana hydroxynitrile lyase (AtHNL) for promiscuous retro-nitroaldolase activity. Engineering of AtHNL has improved enantioselective retro-nitroaldolase activity, a synthetically important biotransformation, for the production of enantiopure β-nitroalcohols having absolute configuration opposite to that of the stereopreference of the HNL.

Materials diversity of hydrogel: Synthesis, polymerization process and soil conditioning properties in agricultural field.

Background: The cumulative influence of global warming, climate abrupt changes, growing population, topsoil erosion is becoming a threatening alarm for facing food challenges and upcoming global water issues. It ultimately affects the production of food in a water-stressed environment and slows down the production with more consumption of fertilizers by plants. The superabsorbent hydrogels (SAHs) have extensive applications in the agricultural field and proved very beneficial for plant growth and soil health.