Laboratory directed evolution

Laboratory directed evolution is a method scientists use to improve or create new proteins and enzymes by mimicking natural evolution in a controlled setting. They generate many variants of a gene, test which ones work best, and then select the top performers to serve as the starting point for the next round. This iterative process accelerates the development of molecules with desired traits, such as higher efficiency or stability. Essentially, it's an intentional, laboratory-based version of natural selection, enabling targeted and rapid improvement of biological functions for applications in medicine, industry, and research.