serisiin

Serisiin is a fictional amino acid analogue introduced in speculative biology and science fiction to explore expansion of the genetic code. It is described as a noncanonical amino acid closely related to serine but with a modified side chain that alters its chemical properties.

Chemical and biochemical properties are described as a side chain that increases polarity and enables unique hydrogen bonding. In fictional accounts, serisiin can be selectively recognized and incorporated by engineered tRNA synthetases and ribosomes, allowing organisms to use it in place of standard amino acids under laboratory control.

Synthesis and incorporation are depicted as achievable through either chemical synthesis from serine precursors or via a dedicated biosynthetic pathway engineered into a host organism. The genetic encoding is typically shown as an expanded codon system with suppression mechanisms to insert serisiin at defined sites.

Applications and significance in these narratives include studying protein folding, altering enzyme catalysis, and exploring novel therapeutic protein designs. Serisiin is often used to illustrate principles of molecular programmability and the limits of the genetic code.

Status and reception: Serisiin remains a fictional concept with no real-world regulatory approval or clinical use. In real science, research on noncanonical amino acids proceeds with documented systems for code expansion and protein engineering, but without a widely recognized compound called serisiin.