The reconstruction of a protein or nucleic acid that has been denatured such that the molecule resumes its original function. Some proteins can be renatured by reversing the conditions (of temperature, pH, etc.) that brought about denaturation.
Chemical Engineering
The reconstruction of a denatured protein or nucleic acid to its original conformation and function. The process of renaturation may be aided by reversing the process conditions that causes denaturation, but in practice may be very slow or may not actually occur at all.
Biology
The reconstruction of a protein or nucleic acid that has been denatured such that the molecule resumes its original function. Some proteins can be renatured by reversing the conditions (of temperature, pH, etc.) that brought about denaturation.