Biocatalysis

By polarizing different cell fate determinants at opposite cell poles, asymmetric cell division (ACD) that produces distinct daughter cells is an evolutionarily conserved mechanism to generate cellular diversity in both eukaryotes and prokaryotes.

Researchers have succeeded in understanding the biosynthetic mechanisms for the production of the natural product cyanobacterin, which is produced in small quantities by the cyanobacteria Scytonema hofmanni. In the process, they also discovered a new class of enzymes for building carbon-carbon bonds. The (bio)chemists are thus significantly expanding the biocatalytic repertoire currently known from Nature and are…

Scientists achieve a novel biocatalytic reaction by repurposing natural enzymes with light, which could lead to valuable new chemical compounds.

The R&D phase for the first project has ended successfully with several enzymes developed and the large-scale production has started.

Mankind has been craving pleasant smells and therefore working on perfumes since ancient times—fine scents have always been considered a source of inspiration, and a good fragrance has always been a sign of health. The scarce natural product (−)-ambrox, which is traditionally isolated from ambergris, a waxy substance from the digestive tract of sperm whales, has been one of the most popular fragrances in the world…

A research team has identified two highly efficient glycosyltransferases, AmGT28 and AmGT44, from Astragalus membranaceus, which convert medicarpin to medicarpin 3-O-glucoside and show a preference for pterocarpans over isoflavonoids.

Plasmas can provide the co-substrate needed for biocatalysis of valuable substances, but they are also harmful to enzymes. By attaching enzymes to small beads, the enzymes are protected and remain active up to 44 times longer.

While conducting an otherwise straightforward investigation into the assembly mechanism of calcium-phosphate clusters, researchers at UC Santa Barbara and New York University (NYU) made a surprising discovery: Phosphate ions in water have a curious habit of spontaneously alternating between their commonly encountered hydrated state and a mysterious, previously unreported 'dark' state.

In a paper just published in ACS Catalysis, the Biocatalysis research group at the University of Amsterdam's Van 't Hoff Institute for Molecular Synthesis presents a versatile method for the synthesis of primary, secondary, and tertiary amines containing two stereogenic centers.

Ephedra-type alkaloids, a class of naturally occurring compounds derived from plants in the genus Ephedra, have long held interest in the pharmaceutical industry due to their stimulant and airway widening effects. These alkaloids are used for the treatment of conditions such as asthma and low blood pressure.

A highly active catalyst capable of synthesizing drug molecules within the body has been developed by RIKEN chemists. In mice, an anticancer drug assembled near tumors using the injected catalyst suppressed tumor growth.

Cell-free biocatalysis is being increasingly used as a substitute for conventional chemical catalysts, given that enzymes (biological catalysts) are more sustainable and selective in the manufacture of valuable chemicals. Chemical biomanufacturing has benefited from extraordinary advances in molecular and synthetic biology, which have stimulated the creation of new enzymatic cascades (sequences of reactions in…

It is well known in physics and chemistry that equal charges repel each other, while opposite charges attract. It was long assumed that this principle also applies when enzymes—the biological catalysts in all living organisms—form or break chemical bonds. It was thought that enzymes place charges in their "active centers," where the chemical reactions actually take place, in such a way that they repel similar…

Move over Spider-Man: Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have developed a strain of bacteria that can turn plastic waste into a biodegradable spider silk with multiple uses.

Researchers from Bochum and Leipzig have successfully used a soil bacterium to specifically produce prodrugs. The key to this step was a detailed understanding of the metabolization of indole. The natural compound is first activated in microorganisms. To do this, they need a monooxygenase, the molecular structure of which has been clarified for the first time.

How do plants make those pungent substances, anyway? The Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry (IPB) is working intensively on this topic. Recently, a group of scientists led by Dr. Thomas Vogt have pinpointed the crucial enzyme that gives the fruits of the pepper plant (Piper nigrum) the distinctive, pungent taste.

A study published in Nature Chemistry reveals a remarkable leap in the synthesis of artificial cells using synthetic materials, which was achieved by an international team led by Dr. Andrea Belluati, Prof. Nico Bruns (both TU Darmstadt) and Dr. Sètuhn Jimaja (University of Fribourg).

In Germany, researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have developed a new class of materials by producing enzymes as foams that have enormous durability and activity. The new biomaterials open up versatile avenues for innovations in industrial biotechnology, material sciences or even food technology. In order to further develop the field of industrial […]

Industrial biocatalysis with enzymes is deemed to be a "game changer" in the development of a sustainable chemical industry. Enzymes can be used to synthesize an impressive range of complex molecules, including pharmaceutical substances, under environmentally compatible conditions.

One of the central challenges for synthetic chemists is to impose control over free radicals. Highly reactive molecules with an unpaired electron, free radicals, may be familiar to you; these are the type of molecules we take antioxidant supplements for, in an effort to tame oxidative stress.