A Career in Catalysis: Bernhard Hauer

Abstract

On the occasion of Professor Bernhard Hauer′s (partial) retirement, we reflect on and highlight his distinguished career in biocatalysis. Bernhard, a biologist by training, has greatly influenced biocatalysis with his vision and ideas throughout his four-decade career. The development of his career went hand in hand with the evolution of biocatalysis and the application and development of enzymes for chemical processes. In this Account, we present selected examples of his early work on the development of enzymes and their application in an industrial setting, with a focus on his specific contributions to harnessing the catalytic power of enzymes for novel reactions and the understanding and engineering of flexible loops and channels on catalysis.