COLUMBUS, Ohio, July 7 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say they have produced synthetic molecules that can emulate enzyme behaviors.
Many jobs require highly specialized catalysts and finding one in just the right shape to connect with certain molecules can be difficult, the Ohio State University chemists said, noting enzymes in the human body that help us digest food can utilize "shape-shifting" to suit the task at hand.
Now the Ohio State researchers say they have created a synthetic catalyst that can fold its molecular structure into a specific shape for a specific job, similar to natural catalysts.
In laboratory tests, the researchers said they were able to cause a synthetic catalyst -- an enzyme-like molecule that enables hydrogenation, a reaction used to transform fats in the food industry -- to fold itself into a specific shape, or into its mirror image.
Professor Jonathan Parquette, who led the research, said the ability to quickly produce a catalyst of a particular shape would be valuable to the pharmaceutical and chemical industries.
The study is reported in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
