Biocatalysis, biocatalyst

In the last decade, biocatalysis in nonaqueous media, using hydrolases, has been widely used for organic chemists. The possibilities that these biocatalysts offer for the preparation of different types of organic compounds, depending upon the nucleophile... 

Since stereoselectivities of biocatalytic reductions are not always satisfactory, modification of biocatalysis are necessary for practical use. This section explains how to find, prepare, and modify the suitable biocatalysts, how to recycle the coenzyme, and how to improve productivity and enantioselectivity of the reactions. 

Recently, recombinant biocatalysts obtained using Escherichia coli cells were designed for this process. The overexpression of all enzymes required for the process, namely, hydantoinase, carbamoylase, and hydantoin racemase from Arthrobacter sp. DSM 9771 was achieved. These cells were used for production of a-amino acids at the concentration of above 50 g 1 dry cell weight [37]. This is an excellent example presenting the power of biocatalysis with respect to classical catalysis, since a simultaneous use of three different biocatalysts originated from one microorganism can be easily achieved. 

Some of the industrial biocatalysts are nitrile hydralase (Nitto Chemicals), which has a productivity of 50 g acrylamide per litre per hour penicillin G amidase (Smith Kline Beechem and others), which has a productivity of 1 - 2 tonnes 6-APA per kg of the immobilized enzyme glucose isomerase (Novo Nordisk, etc.), which has a productivity of 20 tonnes of high fmctose syrup per kg of immobilized enzyme (Cheetham, 1998). Wandrey et al. (2000) have given an account of industrial biocatalysis past, present, and future. It appears that more than 100 different biotransformations are carried out in industry. In the case of isolated enzymes the cost of enzyme is expected to drop due to an efficient production with genetically engineered microorganisms or higher cells. Rozzell (1999) has discussed myths and realities... 

Biocatalysis localization in the biphasic medium depends on physicochemical properties of the reactants. When all the chemical species involved in the reaction are hydro-phobic, catalysis occurs at the liquid-liquid interface. However, when the substrate is hydrophobic (initially dissolved in the apolar phase) and the product is hydrophilic (remains in the aqueous phase), the reaction occurs in the aqueous phase [25]. The majority of biphasic systems use sparingly water-soluble substrates and yield hydrophobic products therefore, the aqueous phase serves as a biocatalyst container [34,35] [Fig. 2(a)]. Nevertheless, in some systems, one of the reactants (substrate or product) can be soluble in the aqueous phase [23,36-38] (Fig. 2(b), (c)). 

One of the most interesting research fields in biocatalysis is the study of biocatalyst denaturation and stabilization in the reaction environment. In nonconventional media,... 

Itoh, N., Nakamura, M., Inoue, K. and Makino, Y. (2007) Continuous production of chiral 1,3-butanediol using immobilized biocatalysts in a packed bed reactor promising biocatalysis method with an asymmetric hydrogen-transfer bioreduction. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 75 (6), 1249-1256. 

The next patent awarded to IGT (in 1993) [93] was related to the organism, B. sphaericus ATCC 53969, and included extended protection for its capabilities to cleave C—S bonds from organosulfur molecules. That full protection also involved any known possible derivative, which might directly or indirectly carry or enhance the observed capabilities. Following these earlier patents, the latter patents introduced additional concepts and practices into the oil-refining biocatalysis arena, by broadening the traditional (whole cell or enzyme) concept of a biocatalyst. 

Bioaffinity chromatography, 6 399—400 Bioantimutagen, vanillin as, 25 556 Bioassay dyes, 9 518 Bioassays, microfluidics in, 26 968-969 Bioaugmentation, defined, 3 758t Bioaugmentation/bioremediation effluent treatment, 9 436, 438 Bioavailability, of antisense oligonucleotides, 17 628 Biocatalysis, 3 668-683 16 395. See also Biocatalyst entries... 

Membranes can be used as a matrix for immobilization of a catalyst. Four basic types of catalysts are relevant (a) enzymes and (b) whole cells for biocatalysis (c) oxides and (d) metals for nonbiological synthesis. Biocatalysts will be considered first since their immobilization in (or on) the membrane was explored much earlier. Five techniques have been studied in varying degrees. They are (1) enzyme contained in the spongy fiber matrix ... 

What will matter is the extent to which a biocatalysis company manages to focus on the market, on the development of biocatalysts to address market needs, and on the ability to compare the potential of biocatalysts and chemical alternatives. Finally, it is possible to list some of the properties of that company that is likely to emerge as the premier biocatalysis company in the next decade ... 

Biocatalysis is still an emerging field hence, some transformations are more established than others.Panke et alP have performed a survey of patent applications in the area of biocatalysis granted between the years 2000 and 2004. They found that although hydrolases, which perform hydrolyses and esterifications, still command widespread attention and remain the most utilized class of enzyme (Figure 1.5), significant focus has turned towards the use of biocatalysts with different activities and in particular alcohol dehydrogenases (ADHs) - also known as ketoreductases (KREDs) - used for asymmetric ketone reduction. 

Microbial reduction has been recognized for decades as a laboratory method of preparing alcohols from ketones with exquisite enantioselectivity. The baker s yeast system represents one of the better known examples of biocatalysis, taught on many undergraduate chemistry courses. Numerous other microorganisms also produce the ADH enzymes (KREDs) responsible for asymmetric ketone reduction, and so suitable biocatalysts have traditionally been identified by extensive microbial screening. Homann et have... 

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