The design of a novel protein whose catalytic activity is
controlled by light may or may not have direct nanotech
applications, but it represents another milestone in engineering
proteins. In this case scientists were able to engineer
functional communication between two unrelated proteins by
taking advantage of the fact that each protein exhibits
allosteric regulation. In allosteric regulation the binding of a
small molecule to one surface of a protein regulates the
function of distant part of the protein. By combining a light
sensing protein and an enzyme at their allosteric surfaces, they
were able to functionally connect the two proteins so that light
controls the enzymatic activity. From ScienceDaily “Scientists
Use Light To Control Proteins“: A team of researchers from Penn
State and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
has discovered a way to use light to control certain proteins
that catalyze biochemical reactions. “This is one of the first
examples of someone successfully controlling t