Dr. Rafael García Meseguer (Theoretical Chemistry Group, ICMol), one of our outstanding researchers, has been awarded the José Elguero Bertolini Prize in the postdoctoral category. This award is part of the 6th Call for Papers in the area of Chemistry and Computation, organised by the Specialised Group of Chemistry and Computation (GEQC) of the Spanish Royal Society of Chemistry (RSEQ).
Recognition of Work of Excellence
Dr. Rafael García Meseguer has received this prestigious recognition for his work entitled "Insights into the Enhancement of the Poly (ethylene terephthalate) Degradation by FAST-PETase from Computational Modeling" (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2023, 145, 19243-19255). His research provides valuable insights into the enhanced degradation of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) by the enzyme FAST-PETase using advanced computational modelling.
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is a type of polyester plastic widely used in the manufacture of clothing and packaging, but it is also one of the most discarded plastics after a single use. The breakdown of PET by enzymes has generated a great deal of interest, especially after the discovery of PETase enzymes, which are capable of degrading this plastic. One of the most effective for this task is FAST-PETase, although the reason for its high efficiency is not yet fully understood.
El estudio, empleó simulaciones por computadora y reveló que FAST-PETase presenta una barrera de energía más baja en su proceso de descomposición en comparación con PETasa, lo que facilita la degradación del plástico. Esta mejora se atribuye principalmente a una mutación específica que altera la estructura y las características del sitio activo de la enzima, haciéndola más eficiente. Este estudio significativo fue destacado en la portada de la revista JACS.
This award highlights not only Dr García Meseguer's excellence in the field of chemistry and computation, but also ICMol's commitment to cutting-edge research and scientific innovation. The GEQC Governing Board has warmly congratulated all the nominations submitted, underlining the high quality of the work received.
News:: https://geqc.rseq.org/resolucion-vi-convocatoria-premio-a-articulos-destacados-en-el-area-de-quimica-y-computacion/
Information:https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/jacs.3c04427
