Biocatalysis

Driven by the need to develop processes that are both economically and environmentally sustainable, the chemical industry will increasingly turn to renewable feedstocks and biotechnology based processes for the manufacture of a growing range of products. Such products are diverse, and produced in large volume, and include agrochemicals, cosmetics, pharmaceutical drugs and also fuel moleclues. This switchover from oil-based starting materials to those derived from biomass will necessitate the development of biotechnology-based processes that are able to convert inexpensive raw materials efficiently to high-value products. Biotechnology involves the use of Nature's catalysts, known as enzymes or biocatalysts, for the production of chemicals and related products. In some cases these biocatalytic transformations are carried out by isolated enzymes, supported on an inert carrier. In other applications, especially for multi-enzyme conversions, the processes need to be carried out within the environment of a microbial cell. The design and engineering of such cells, which are capable of pre-programmed synthetic conversions, represent a significant challenge and will require the interaction of the disciplines of synthetic chemistry, synthetic biology and process engineering.

This special issue of Catalysis Science & Technology contains 14 articles, including reviews, perspectives and communications, that deal with various aspects of biocatalysis and biotechnology including protein engineering, biofilms, novel biocatalysts, cofactors, enzyme promiscuity and cascade reactions. The authors have between them covered a broad range of themes and together provided an excellent overview of some of the challenges facing biocatalysis and biotechnology in meeting the demands of future chemical production.

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