A special feature makes these enzymes interesting for biotechnological applications in the chemical industry: They allow the use of molecular oxygen as cosubstrate and produce thus functionalized inter- mediates or end products for basic and fine chemistry.

Benefits of biotechnological production

Compared with the chemical synthesis the production of these chemicals using oxidative enzymes offers many advantages:

• Wider range of potential products

• Chemically non-activated lead compounds are possible

• Mild reaction conditions of temperature, pressure, and pH

• No explosive or toxic oxidizing agents

• Oxidoreductases work chemo-, regio- and stereoselectively, thus increasing yields and minimizing by-products

An interdisciplinary approach with a total of 13 partners from academia, research, medium and large-scale chemical industry within the DBU-funded research network ChemBioTec therefore aims to develop methods that promote the use of oxidative enzymes in chemistry.

Within this project, the Greifswald Enzymicals AG succeeded in constructing various Baeyer-Villiger mono-oxygenases (BVMO), and established their technical manufacturing and marketing.

For the synthesis of ε-caprolactone, a basic product for the manufacture of polyesters and polyethers, a whole biocatalytic process was developed and characterized. The sesame-Biotech GmbH, Bremen, developed on the basis of a vast variety of mutant libraries tailored catalytic enzymes.

Project Coordination:
Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-Universität Greifswald Institut für Biochemie
Felix-Hausdorff-Straße 4
17487 Greifswald
uwe.bornscheuer@uni-greifswald.de
www.chemie.uni-greifswald.de

Project Operation:
Enzymicals AG
Walther-Rathenau-Straße 49a
17489 Greifswald
Telefon 03834|515-47-0
info@enzymicals.com
www.enzymicals.de

SeSaM-Biotech GmbH
Campus Ring 1
28759 Bremen
Telefon 0421|4797063
info@sesam-biotech.de
www.sesam-biotech.com

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