New Biocatalysts: Essential Tools for a Sustainable 21st Century Chemical Industry

摘要

This report represents the November, 1999 workshop efforts and subsequent contributions of 50 leading scientific and industry experts in biocatalyst use and development. The goal was to produce a roadmap, or strategic plan, for developing and utilizing a new generation of biocatalysts for the 21st Century. The focus of the work group was on the very complex chemical industry and such chemistry-related areas as the pharmaceutical and environmental sciences. Biocatalyst technology, as a part of a broader chemical biotechnology, is increasingly important as a tool for chemical synthesis. Its application is driven by consumer demand for new products and by industrial attempts at increasing profits and cost reduction, as well as government and regulatory pressures and new technologies and scientific discovery. Current applications of biocatalysts include the production of high fructose corn syrup, aspartame, semi-synthetic penicillins and award-winning cancer drugs. Despite these examples of biocatalyst applications, biocatalysts cannot reach their potential without a concerted effort on the part of industry, non-profit and government funding agencies, and academic and national lab scientists. The contributors to this plan defined the goals needed to reach this potential, analyzed technical barriers and problems to be surmounted, and formulated an initial plan to implement the resulting program.