ITCHY is a molecular biology technique used to create libraries of hybrid enzymes with novel properties by controlled breeding of genes encoding enzymes.
The Incremental truncation for the creation of hybrid enzymes (ITCHY) is a technique used in molecular biology to create libraries of hybrid enzymes. This method involves the controlled breeding of genes encoding enzymes to generate chimeric proteins with potentially novel properties. ITCHY, along with techniques like DNA shuffling, is aimed at producing enzymes with enhanced or altered functions, which can be valuable in various fields including industrial biocatalysis, pharmaceutical development, and synthetic biology. The process allows researchers to mix and match parts of different enzymes to explore a wide range of activities and specificities.