Directed evolution of enzymes New biocatalysts for organic synthesis

摘要

Enzymes, in the form of biocatalysts, are finding increased application in the production of a wide range of chemicals and polymers. These chemicals can range from pharmaceutical and agrochemical building blocks to fine/bulk chemicals and more recently components of bio fuels. Despite the diversity of product applications, there is an underlying commonality in the technologies required to firstly discover the required enzyme activity and subsequently develop a robust biocatalyst that is suitable for practical applications in an industrial context. With respect to enzyme discovery, there are now a number of complementary methods that can be exploited as shown in Figure 1.