We are excited to share that Yanan’s recent Nature Chemistry paper on azetidine amino acid biosynthesis by two non-heme iron enzymes has been highlighted in Nature Chemical Biology: link. In this work, we uncovered how these enzymes construct a highly strained azetidine ring — a key building block in many bioactive small molecules — through an unprecedented radical mechanism. Our findings expand understanding of enzymatic chemistry and open new avenues for bioengineering novel molecules. Congratulations to the entire team for this achievement!
Department of Biochemistry, Duke University School of Medicine
