This repository holds the BALCONY R package, which can be downloaded at its CRAN website.
BALCONY (Better ALignment CONsensus analYsis) is an R package that facilitates the evolutionary analysis and the identification of conservation check the variablity of selected amino acids in protein structure. One of the unique functionalities of the BALCONY package concerns the analysis of individual amino acids in primary protein structure and their neighbours in tertiary structure. Residues defining active site cavities, co-factor binding sites, selectivity filters, channels or tunnels are examples of applications for this package. BALCONY is flexible and versatile enough to combine and analyse evolutionary and structural data in a simple and transparent manner.
Conservation analysis can provide insights into rational protein design. Amino acids favoured by evolution are attractive hot spots for mutations prediction. Conversely, the most variable residues may also be great candidates for enzyme property enhancements since theoretically these are not fundamental for protein stability.
install.packages("BALCONY")