In vitro evolution of proteins for drug development
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Updated: Aug 24, 2026

Mutagenesis and Functional Selection Protocols for Directed Evolution of Proteins in E. coli
Published on: March 16, 2011
Simon Delagrave1, Dennis J Murphy
1Center for Molecular Biotechnology, Fraunhofer USA, 9 Innovation Way, Suite 200, Newark, DE 19711, USA. sdelagrave@fraunhofer-cmb.org
Abstract:
Thanks to biotechnology, proteins are becoming increasingly important tools to fight disease, both as therapeutics in their own right and as catalysts for the synthesis of small molecule drugs. However, the properties of these proteins are not necessarily optimal for their intended tasks. In vitro evolution is a set of technologies useful to address their shortcomings. Moreover, in vitro evolution can help illuminate natural evolutionary pathways, thus potentially enabling prediction of drug resistance evolution. We consider here recent developments in the area of in vitro evolution, as well as its application to proteins of interest to medical science.
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