C. W. Carter

Genomic database furnishes a spontaneous example of a functional Class II glycyl-tRNA synthetase urzyme

The paper identifies a functional urzyme, GlyCA, from an arctic fox genome that exhibits enhanced catalytic activity compared to known urzymes, supporting the idea that urzymes represent ancestral catalytic activities in genetic coding.

HetMM: A Michaelis-Menten model for non-homogeneous enzyme mixtures

HetMM introduces a kinetic model to analyze enzyme mixtures with heterogeneous catalytic activities, showing it outperforms the standard Michaelis-Menten model in both homogeneous and heterogeneous systems.

Domain Acquisition by Class I Aminoacyl-tRNA Synthetase Urzymes Coordinated the Catalytic Functions of HVGH and KMSKS Motifs

This study examines the energetic coupling of catalytic motifs in LeuRS and its urzyme ancestor, showing how domain acquisition enhances transition-state stabilization.

A Zymography technique to study amino acid activation by aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRS): A broad spectrum, high- throughput tool to screen activities of aaRS and their Urzyme variants.

The paper introduces a zymography technique to visualize and quantify amino acid activation by aaRS and their Urzyme variants, validated for sensitivity and specificity.

High-Resolution, Multidimensional Phylogenetic Metrics Identify Class I Aminoacyl-tRNA Synthetase Evolutionary Mosaicity and Inter-modular 'Coupling

The paper uses phylogenetic metrics to show that Class I aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases evolved from a mosaic of genetic sources with modular 'coupling' and identifies a protozyme as the root of the molecular tree.

Thermodynamic impacts of combinatorial mutagenesis on protein conformational stability: precise, high-throughput measurement by Thermofluor

The paper uses Thermofluor to measure the thermodynamic effects of combinatorial mutations on TrpRS stability, showing strong agreement with computational models and CD melting profiles.

HIV-1 Protease Uses Bi-Specific S2/S2’ Subsites To Optimize Cleavage of Two Classes of Target Sites

This study shows HIV-1 protease uses bi-specific S2/S2’ subsites to cleave two classes of target sites, with distinct interactions based on the presence or absence of a P1 proline.

Interdependence, Reflexivity, Fidelity, Impedance Matching, And The Evolution Of Genetic Coding

This paper argues that genetic coding emerged from a peptide*RNA partnership without requiring an RNA world, emphasizing interdependence, reflexivity, and error rate compatibility in aaRS and tRNA systems.