Abstract

Bioorganic catalysis is emerging as a powerful tool to complement traditional catalytic reactions in organic synthesis. A wide range of reactions can be catalyzed using biocatalysts, and this article attempts to introduce the reader to the variety of reactions that have been demonstrated. Although these reactions are possible in the laboratory, the challenge is to make them economically feasible on an industrial scale. Each biotransformation process has some unique obstacles to overcome before it is translated from the laboratory to commercial scale, and some of these problems are discussed. Biocatalytic properties are amenable to dramatic modification using genetic and solvent engineering, setting them apart from traditional catalysts. Many biocatalytic processes are being run on a commercial scale and one such reaction utilizing a transaminase is presented as a case study.