High‐Throughput Screening for Terpene‐Synthase‐Cyclization Activity and Directed Evolution of a Terpene Synthase

An easy assay: A synthetic substrate enables a colorimetric screen for terpene synthase cyclization activity, thereby facilitating the engineering of these enzymes. By using directed evolution, the thermostability of a sesquiterpene synthase was increased without the loss of other properties. The technique also enabled rapid optimization of conditions for expression and stabilization in lysate of another terpene synthase. PPO=diphosphate.