INDUSTRIAL

BIOTRANSFORMATION
Derek Chan
 • Biocatalysis or biotransformation
encompasses the use of biological
systems to catalyze the conversion
of one compound to another.
• The catalyst part of the biological
system can thereby consist of whole
cells, cellular extracts, or isolated
enzyme(s)

Biotransformation The idea of using biological systems is to

create
• more efficient
• more selective
• environmentally friendlier processes
- substituting problematic chemical
transformations.
 Advantages of biotransformation
Enzymes and whole-cell biocatalysts have several attractive properties, which make
them privileged catalysts for organic synthesis

• They have high chemo-, regio-, and stereo-selectivities.

• They require mild reaction conditions – either the substrates or the products of
the reaction are chemically labile
• Biocatalysis is normally performed in an aqueous environment but can, in many
cases, also be conducted in solvent mixtures, liquid–liquid two-phase systems,
and even in pure organic solvents. E.g. the use of esterases and lipases to catalyze
esterifications in organic solvents such as vinyl acetate
• There is no, or only limited use of protecting groups, for example, for the
chemoenzymatic synthesis of complex carbohydrates and glycoconjugates
Enzyme classification (EC) system of the nomenclature
committee of the International Union of Biochemistry
and Molecular Biology (IUBMB)
• In order to perform
bioreactions, the
biocatalyst can be
operated under various
process conditions
Application of biotransformation