Enzymology is the science of enzymes. Enzymes are a subclass of proteins present in large numbers in living cells, numbering in the hundreds, and play a central role in the chemistry of the transformation of living matter (metabolisms, catabolisms, biosyntheses, etc.). In fact, they are the catalysts of biological reactions : by significantly accelerating reaction speeds, enzymes make cells fully functional and life possible.
Today, this science is often considered to be outdated. What this lecture shows is that this idea is unfair and that the work of enzymologists continues to lead to astonishing discoveries ; new reaction mechanisms, new enzymatic cofactors, both organic and inorganic, and new enzymes. This is not surprising, considering that a major part of the proteome has yet to be studied on a molecular scale.
This lecture on new enzymology began in the academic year 2020-2021. It will continue in 2021-2022, with the presentation of further examples of advances in understanding the structures and mechanisms of complex enzyme systems, and in the discovery of new enzymes.