Systematic molecular evolution using PRANCE

Tuesday March 15th, 4-5pm EST | Erika Alden DeBenedictis, University of Washington

Natural proteins evolved over billions of years, with numerous populations using chance and selection to identify useful proteins. In comparison, directed evolution in the laboratory is perpetually under-powered: more rounds of evolution and more independent populations are always needed. This talk will describe PRANCE, an evolution technique that combines liquid handling robotics and molecular engineering techniques to expand the capabilities of laboratory evolution. It allows for multiplex experiments, each of which is monitored in real time and improved using a feedback controller that eliminates common types of experimental failures. PRANCE is effectively "qPCR for directed evolution:" a device that makes a useful protocol routine by eliminating researcher hands-on time and provides quantitate real-time data. These advances make directed evolution more interpretable, accessible, and reproducible.

Paper: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41592-021-01348-4

Recording link: https://youtu.be/ai_6pBZ8zsk