Metagenomic discovery of novel antimicrobial enzymes from Earth’s extremes

Bacteriophage genomes offer a large reservoir of enzymes adapted to extreme environments. This seminar examines endolysins, enzymes that break down bacterial cell walls, as potential antimicrobial agents for agriculture, food production and sanitation. Cold-adapted variants could support cleaning at lower temperatures, while heat-tolerant variants may serve fermentation, food processing and alternatives to antibiotics.

Amy Wiseman presents research combining metagenomic sequences from Icelandic hot springs and Arctic seawater with AlphaFold and other prediction methods, biophysical experiments, X-ray crystallography and biochemical characterization. The work investigates candidate cold-adapted and thermophilic endolysins, reveals unexpected structural features, and considers what these features imply for evolution, environmental adaptation and enzyme function. The talk connects sequence mining and structural prediction with experimental validation, biotechnology applications and rational enzyme design.