ABSTRACT
Enzymes are biological catalysts ubiquitous in all life forms, allowing chemical reactions to proceed at rates otherwise unachievable. Although the indirect use of enzymes may date back several centuries, use of isolated enzymes with the knowledge of their function is relatively new. Although industrial processes depend largely on chemical catalysts, the scenario is gradually changing toward green technologies with enzymes emerging as preferred catalysts for several such processes. Enzymatic catalysis represents potential alternatives to many of the existing processes, but not every one of the current manufacturing processes is amenable to enzymatic catalysis. New routes for synthesis and novel replacement products are in consideration with a large number of them based on enzymatic catalyses. Also, there is a renewed interest in developing novel enzyme catalysts tailored for the reactions of interest, making use of modern biotechnological tools for achieving this.
