Engineered rRNA Enhances the Efficiency of Selenocysteine Incorporation during Translation

We developed a new genetic selection approach to screen for mutations that can alter the efficiency of selenocysteine incorporation. We identified mutations in 16S rRNA that increase or decrease the efficiency of selenocysteine incorporation in Escherichia coli without influencing the efficiency or fidelity of canonical translation. Engineered ribosomes with improved selenocysteine incorporation provide valuable tools for synthetic biology and biotechnology.