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Kinetic analysis

From descriptive to quantitative biocatalysis

Nature Catalysis volume 8, pages 859–860 (2025)Cite this article

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The 1913 study ‘Die Kinetik der Invertinwirkung’, by Michaelis and Menten, marked a pivotal advancement in enzymology by illustrating the application of mechanistic models and quantitative kinetics to biocatalysis. The foundational framework described back then continues to have a strong impact on enzymology, with profound influences that range from undergraduate education to structure–function studies and the format and content of contemporary kinetic databases.

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Fig. 1: Illustration of the Michaelis–Menten framework.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Novo Nordisk Foundation CO2 Research Center (grant no. NNF21SA0072700).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Protein Chemistry and Enzyme Technology, Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark

    Peter Westh

  2. The Novo Nordisk Foundation CO₂ Research Center (CORC), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark

    Peter Westh

  3. Department of Science and Environment, Roskilde University, Roskilde, Denmark

    Jeppe Kari

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  1. Peter Westh
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  2. Jeppe Kari
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Correspondence to Peter Westh.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Westh, P., Kari, J. From descriptive to quantitative biocatalysis. Nat Catal 8, 859–860 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41929-025-01400-y

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