Munich Researchers Optimize Plant Enzyme Lifespan Through Directed Evolution

A research team from the Technical University of Munich is exploring ways to optimize the lifespan of plant enzymes. Certain plant enzymes have a short lifespan and require frequent replacement, consuming significant resources and limiting plant growth and yield. The researchers aim to extend the lifespan of these enzymes through directed evolution, thereby reducing the energy plants expend on enzyme renewal. This would allow more resources to be allocated to growth, ultimately improving crop yields and contributing to global food security.

This process, known as continuous directed evolution, accelerates evolution within a short time frame. In nature, DNA undergoes genetic mutations over thousands to millions of years, but at an extremely low frequency. When beneficial mutations arise, organisms carrying them gain a competitive advantage in resource acquisition and survival, leading to natural selection—the survival of the fittest.

In the laboratory, researchers apply this principle to short-lived enzymes by artificially increasing mutation rates and selecting superior variants in resource competition. Instead of modifying enzymes directly within plants, they use rapidly reproducing model organisms like yeast to expedite the process. In this controlled environment, they can achieve the equivalent of 120,000 years of natural evolution within just a few days.

Once scientists develop optimized plant enzymes through mutational breeding, they reintegrate the improved gene sequences into crops. The first experimental crop will be tomatoes, chosen for their genetic accessibility. Researchers will then conduct in-depth analyses to verify whether the genetic modifications effectively extend enzyme lifespan and enhance crop yields.