ABSTRACT

This book offers an explanation of the specific ways that biocatalysis outperforms chemical catalysis by: utilizing ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure to minimize problems of isomerization, racemization, and epimerization; employing microbial cells and enzymes that can be immobilized and reused over many cycles; and overexpressing enzymes for greater economy and efficiency.

Stereoselective synthesis using hydantoinases and carbamoylases; aminoacidase-catalyzed preparation and further transformations of enantiopure alpha-hydrogen- and alpha,alpha-disubstitute alpha-amino acids; chemoenzymatic synthesis of pheromones, terpenes and other bioregulators; stereoselective biocatalysis for synthesis of some chiral pharmaceutical intermediates; stereoselective hydroxylation reactions; regio- and stereoselective microbial hydroxylation of terpenoid compounds; microbial epoxidation - application in biotechnology; stereoselective syntheses using microbial epoxide hydrolases; enzymatic asymmetric synthesis using aldolases; decarboxylases in stereoselective catalysis; biocatalysis in the enantioselective formation of chiral cyanohydrins, valuable building blocks in organic synthesis; hydroxynitrile lyases in stereoselective synthesis; production of chiral beta-hydroxy acids and its application in organic syntheses; stereoselective synthesis of chiral compounds using whole-cell biocatalysis; choice of biocatalyst in the development of industrial biotransformations; chiral synthons by enzymatic acylation and esterification reactions; stereoselective nitrile-covering enzymes; enzyme-mediated decarboxylation reactions in organic synthesis; yeast-mediated stereoselective biocatalysis; biocatalytic synthesis of steroids; biocatalytic synthesis of enantiopure compound using lipases; chemoenzymatic preparation of enantiomerically pure S(+)-2-arylpropionic acids with anti-inflammatory activity; biocatalytic production of pravastatin, an antiocholesterol drug; application of PEG-modified enzymes in biotechnological processes; new avenues to high-performance immobilized biosystems - from biosensors to biocatalysts; enzymatic protecting group techniques in organic synthesis; enzymatic reactions in supercritical carbon dioxide; dehydrogenases in the synthesis of chiral compounds; stereoselective microbial Baeryer-Villiger oxidations.