6 - The application of biocatalysis to the manufacture of fine chemicals

Summary

Introduction

Biological catalysis has such a pervasive influence on the industries which are closely associated with our daily lives that it is difficult to contain a short review within sensible bounds. The traditional large-scale crafts associated with agriculture, the manufacture of foods and drinks, and the preparation and cleaning of fabrics all use biological catalysis. At the other extreme, biological catalysis has an important role to play in analytical chemistry. Enzymes are used to monitor the levels of metabolites as an important feature in the diagnosis and therapy of disease. These techniques have been extended to the use of enzymes to amplify the responses in antibodybased assays, as well as to mediate the detection of an environmental pollutant at an electrode. The same catalysts also play a role in the degradation of pollutants, which is, perhaps, simply an extension of the role of biochemistry applied to the traditional craft of cleaning.

However, it is the use of enzymes in the large-scale manufacture of synthetic organic chemicals which is the main topic of this chapter. The recent interest amongst organic chemists arises from the high degrees of specificity and selectivity that characterize enzyme catalysis. That this is a valuable resource in manufacture cannot be doubted, as judged by the value of the products which it produces. Nevertheless, the methodology should not be oversold. Biocatalysis has a part to play in the modern chemical industry, but it also has limits which it is necessary to understand.