37aminoacid

37aminoacid is a term used in some discussions of protein coding to denote an expanded repertoire of amino acids beyond the canonical twenty. It is not an officially recognized category in biochemistry; its usage is limited to speculative or research contexts where scientists consider extending the genetic code to incorporate additional amino acids.

In proposed 37aminoacid schemes, the standard 20 amino acids would be retained, while 17 noncanonical amino acids would be added through engineered translation systems. Noncanonical amino acids often discussed include selenocysteine and pyrrolysine, which occur naturally in certain organisms via specialized mechanisms, as well as synthetic amino acids with novel side chains. The exact composition varies between proposals and is not standardized.

Potential applications include protein engineering, new catalytic activities, site-specific labeling, and the development of advanced biomaterials. Researchers employ approaches from synthetic biology, expanded genetic code strategies, and orthogonal tRNA/synthetase pairs to enable the incorporation of noncanonical amino acids into proteins.

Limitations and challenges include lower incorporation efficiency, fidelity issues, metabolic burden, and potential toxicity in host systems. Practical deployment also raises ethical and regulatory considerations for organisms engineered to use extended genetic codes. As of now, 37aminoacid remains a conceptual idea rather than a widely adopted framework in mainstream biochemistry.