ABSTRACT
The effect of molecular genetics and recombinant DNA technology on industrial biotechnology is well documented. One general area in which enzymes with engineered properties may become more important is the production of optically active amines as precursors for bioactive pharmaceuticals. Most enzymes used in large quantity are hydrolytic enzymes. Proteases are widely used as additives to remove protein-rich stains or blood stains from laundry. The production of high-fructose corn syrup represents a classic example in which glucose isomerase is used to convert glucose into fructose, thus considerably enhancing the level of sweetness. In the pharmaceutical industry, much interest has been focused on the formation of compounds with a specific chiral structure for the synthesis of stereospecific biopharmaceuticals. The ability to interconvert one stereoisomer into another is of special interest because often only one of the two forms has the desired pharmaceutical properties and it is very difficult to separate from the other isomer.
