Abstract

Practical applications of microbial biotransformations to organic synthesis of a wide range of important commercial chemicals is reviewed. Specific examples of recent advances in industrial applications of biocatalysis and drug metabolite production are highlighted. Major types of chemical reactions efficiently catalyzed by microbial catalysts are summarized and reviewed, with specific examples of biotransformations applied for important synthetic processes. An emphasis is given to specific practical aspects of conducting microbial transformations, providing guidelines for successful technical implementation of synthetic reactions catalyzed by microorganisms. Covered topics include selection and handling of microbial catalysts, miniaturization and automation of microbial culture screening, and application of modern experimental techniques for analysis of microbial reactions. Additional focus is placed on formulation of microbial reaction systems to achieve optimal performance and yields, and general approaches to biotransformation scale-up.