A new paper from the lab entitled ‘Sequence Conservation Does Not Always Signify a Functional Imperative as Observed in the Nitroreductase Superfamily’ has been published in Biochemistry! This paper discusses the role of highly conserved Lys and Arg residues that interact with the flavin cofactor in several enzymes belonging to the nitroreductase superfamily. Despite their conservation, mutation to these residues resulted in surprisingly only modest changes to substrate binding, catalysis and flavin redox potential. Check it out at https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.biochem.2c00037