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Methane oxidising enzyme mystery solved
The researchers located the enzyme's active site and confirmed that copper was crucial for activity © A Rosenzweig/Nature
US scientists have cracked a long-standing mystery surrounding an enzyme which oxidises methane to methanol. The finding could lead to a cost-effective and environmentally clean method of methanol production for fuel and feedstock.
Certain bacteria use methane monooxygenases (MMOs) to selectively oxidise methane at ambient temperatures, unlike modern industrial methods which require high temperatures, are inefficient and produce waste. However, controversy has surrounded the nature of the enzyme's active site, preventing deeper understanding of how the enzyme works. It was known that either copper or iron is involved in the process, but which metal and how the atoms are arranged has remained a mystery. More...
http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/News/2010/April/21041001.asp
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