Biocatalysis: Enzymatic Synthesis for Industrial Applications

Abstract

in 2007, followed by postdoctoral studies at York University (UK) and Greifswald University (Germany). In 2010, she transitionedto industry applying and developing biocatalytic technologies at Novacta in the UK, prior to joining Chemical Process Development at GSK, with responsibility for the development and implementation of new biocatalytic technologyi nboth pre-and post-commercialization routes. Since Dec. 2016, Radka is leading the Bioreactions group in GDC at the Novartis Institute for Biomedical Research in Basel, Switzerland. Jeffrey Moore obtained his PhD in Chemical Engineeringf rom the California Institute of Technology in 1996 as Frances Arnold's first Directed Evolution graduate student. His foundational work led to an evolved p-nitrobenzyl esterase and the Lonza Centenary Prize (1997). In 1996, he joined the Biocatalysis Group of Merck & Co.in Rahway NJ, spending two decades inventing new enzymes and new enzymatic processes. In 2018, he transitionedtothe Merck Protein EngineeringG roup responsible for evolving enzymes for the discovery,d evelopmenta nd commercials cale manufacture of medicines. He has been awarded aUS Presidential Green Chemistry Award (2010), the BioCat2012 Award (2012) and the Thomas Edison Inventorship Award (2014). Kai Baldenius studied chemistry in Hamburg and Southampton. He received his PhD for research in asymmetric organometallic catalysis, supervised by H. tom Dieck and H. B. Kagan. After his postdoc on natural product synthesis with K. C. Nicolaou at the Scripps Research Institute he joined BASF in 1993. Kai served BASF in various functions (R&D, production, marketing, sales) before he took the lead of BASF'sbiocatalysis research for almost ad efcade. He left BASF to become afree-lancing consultanti n2019 and in 2020 he has founded Baldenius Biotech Consulting. Uwe T. Bornscheuer studied chemistry and received his PhD in 1993 at Hannover University followed by apostdoc at Nagoya University (Japan). In 1998, he completed his Habilitation at Stuttgart University about the use of lipases and esterasesi n organic synthesis. He has been Professor at the Institute of Biochemistry at Greifswald University since 1999. Beside other awards, he received in 2008 the BioCat2008 Award. He was just recognized as "Chemistry Europe Fellow". His current research interest focuses on the discovery and engineering of enzymes from various classes for applications in organic synthesis, lipid modification, degradation of plastics or complex marine polysaccharides.

The rise of continuous flow biocatalysis – fundamentals, very recent developments and future perspectives

“…important and influencing key element in research and industry for the selective synthesis of essential organic compounds. [4][5][6][7][8][9] Merging the knowledge and expertise of chemical reaction engineering 10,11 and biocatalysis to a so-called 'continuous flow biocatalysis' has recently gained great attention in the scientific community.…”

Biocatalytic routes to anti-viral agents and their synthetic intermediates

“…In line with an increasing awareness of its potential, biocatalytic production of pharmaceuticals has become increasingly popular over the last decades. [24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33] Additionally, in times of crisis and scarcity (of medicine) one requires tools to rapidly access the chemicals in need, a recent 90 day pressure test revealed biocatalysis to be excellently suited for achieving this. 34 To aid in the continuous development of biocatalytic tools for anti-viral agent synthesis and to hopefully also contribute to the rapid production of a treatment for COVID -19, we hereby present a comprehensive compilation of research on the biocatalytic synthesis of anti-viral agents.…”

“…There are, however, still gaps in the biocatalytic toolbox, although many recently discovered enzyme classes are being rapidly developed in both academia and industry. 33 Of particular significance are nucleoside analogues and peptidomimetics as these types of anti-viral agents directly interfere with unique stages of the viral replication cycle (Fig. 1).…”

Confining enzyme clusters in supramolecular nanoreactors enhances cofactor-dependent cascade for chiral alcohol synthesis

“…Cell-free cofactor recycling can be achieved by integrating an auxiliary enzyme which catalyzes a sacri cial and inexpensive substrate to regenerate cofactors. For example, NADPH can be recovered from NAD + using a glucose dehydrogenase and glucose [15][16][17][18][19][20] . Generally, the main and auxiliary enzymes are used as free enzymes in the reaction solution.…”