Progresses in Biocatalysis

D-Amino acids (CF) D-Hydantoinase Pseudomonas putida Bacillus sp. 

Acrylamide (Ch) Nicotinamide (H) Nitrile hydratase Rhodococcus rhodochrous 

Chiral epoxide Alkene monooxygenase Nocardia corallina 

Adenine arabinoside Nucleoside phosphorylase Enterobacter aerogenes 

Miniaturization in biocatalysis and fermentation is another necessary step. This will allow continuous processes with the benefits that could derive in terms of process intensification and reduction of waste. Miniature (less than 10 mL) stirred reactors and microtiter plates (MTP) have been introduced mainly with the idea of allowing high-throughput screening to speed up bioprocess development, even though they are available now also for production uses [172-174]. Notably, problems emerge with these miniature bioreactors (MBRs), such as evaporation and surface tension, which determine the performances, but which are masked in larger bioreactors. 

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Matsuda T, Yamanaka R et al (2009) Recent progress in biocatalysis for asymmetric oxidation and reduction. Tetrahedron Asymmetry 20 513-557... 

Zhou Z, Hartmann M (2012) Recent progress in biocatalysis with enzymes immobilized on mesoporous hosts. Top Catal 55 1081-1100... 

The use of ionic liquids (ILs) to replace organic or aqueous solvents in biocatalysis processes has recently gained much attention and great progress has been accomplished in this area lipase-catalyzed reactions in an IL solvent system have now been established and several examples of biotransformation in this novel reaction medium have also been reported. Recent developments in the application of ILs as solvents in enzymatic reactions are reviewed. 

Current research is in progress in our laboratory on biocatalysis in two-phase media with j6-glycosidases, yeast, and enzymes of the lipoxygenase pathway. 

This chapter will consider some of the most interesting of current approaches to the evolution of enzyme mimics, in the context of continuing dramatic progress in protein and nucleotide engineering. There are excellent practical as well as intellectual reasons for the broad interest in this topic. Catalysis is a major preoccupation of the chemical industry if the application of the principles of biocatalysis can lead to robust and efficient catalysts tailor-made for reactions of economic importance the area will become even more a focus of intense activity and investment. 

Vofi H,Miethe P (1992) Enzymes entrapped in liquid crystals a novel approach for bio-catalysis in nonaqueous media. In Tramper J, Vermae MH, Beet HH, Stockar UV (eds) Biocatalysis in non-conventional media, progress in biotechnology. Elsevier, London 8 739... 

The goal of this review is to highlight a progress in the transition-metal chemistry of some enzymes that catalyze oxidative and reductive reactions. These enzymes are referred to as oxidoreductases (1,2) and transition metals are usually found in their active sites. However, the discussion will not be devoted to these metals, which are absolutely essential for biocatalysis. Such information is brilliantly summarized in several recent fundamental reviews and monographs (3-9). 

Since 1996, micellar catalysis (Section 3.1.11) has made progress in the same time as supercritical fluids (Section 3.1.13) have come to the fore. Suffice it to say that biocatalysis and enzyme-analogous processes enjoy an exponential growth that has significance both to basic science and to industry (Section 3.2.1). 

Biocatalyst inhibitors I are substrate-like molecules that interact with a given biocatalyst and interfere with the progress of biocatalysis. Inhibitors usually act in one of three ways, either by competitive inhibition, non-competitive inhibition or uncompetitive inhibition. The mode of inhibition is different in each case and as a result a different steady state kinetic scheme is required to account for each mode of inhibition. Consequently, each mode of inhibition is characterised by a different steady state kinetic equation that gives rise to a different graphical output of V versus [S] data, as we will show below. These substantial differences in graphical output can be used to diagnose the type of inhibition if unknown. 

Tramper J, Vermiie MH, Beeftink HH, von Stockar U (eds) (1992) Biocatalysis in non-con-ventional media. Progress in biotechnology 8, Proceedings of an International Symposium. 

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