Biocatalysis as a Tool for the Development of Green Processes

Dr D. Mink, DSM Research, Netherlands

Dr Mink outlined DSM’s approach to using biocatalysis and integrating it with chemical and / or fermentation capabilities leading to efficient green processing routes. DSM have pioneered the PlugBug® concept, which seeks to maximise research and production efficiency by limiting the number of microorganisms used. This was exemplified by examples using DERA (2-deoxyribose-5-phosphate aldolase), threonine aldolases, and hydroxynitrile lyases. 5-Deoxy-sugars can be produced using DERA and this has been refined to produce STATON (5), which can be elaborated in to lipitor intermediate (6) or (S)-CDHP (7), a versatile C6 building block.

Threonine aldolases (TA’s) were used for coupling glycine with a variety of aldehydes to give –hydroxy--amino acids. The stereospecificity at the -carbon was described as “relaxed”! There are a large number of natural L-type TA’s, but only 3 D-type TA’s limiting the number of compounds with this configuration which can be made. Some phenylserine derivatives can be resolved with TA’s. Hydroxynitrile lyases were used to convert aldehydes to cyanohydrins enantiospecifically with HCN.