Biocatalysis is very appealing to the industry because it allows, in principle, the synthesis of products not accessible by chemical synthesis. Enzymes are very effective, as are precise biocatalysts, as they are enantioselective, with mild reaction conditions and green chemistry. Biocatalysis is currently widely used in the pharmaceutical industry, food industry, cosmetic industry, and textile industry. This includes enzyme production, biocatalytic process development, biotransformation, enzyme engineering, immobilization, the synthesis of fine chemicals and the recycling of biocatalysts. One of the most challenging problems in biocatalysis applications is process optimization. This Special Issue shows that an optimized biocatalysis process can provide an environmentally friendly, clean, highly efficient, low cost, and renewable process for the synthesis and production of valuable products. With further development and improvements, more biocatalysis processes may be applied in the future.

Biocatalysis is very appealing to the industry because it allows, in principle, the synthesis of products not accessible by chemical synthesis. Enzymes are very effective, as are precise biocatalysts, as they are enantioselective, with mild reaction conditions and green chemistry. Biocatalysis is currently widely used in the pharmaceutical industry, food industry, cosmetic industry, and textile industry. This includes enzyme production, biocatalytic process development, biotransformation, enzyme engineering, immobilization, the synthesis of fine chemicals and the recycling of biocatalysts. One of the most challenging problems in biocatalysis applications is process optimization. This Special Issue shows that an optimized biocatalysis process can provide an environmentally friendly, clean, highly efficient, low cost, and renewable process for the synthesis and production of valuable products. With further development and improvements, more biocatalysis processes may be applied in the future.

This book was written with the purpose of providing a sound basis for the design of enzymatic reactions based on kinetic principles, but also to give an updated vision of the potentials and limitations of biocatalysis, especially with respect to recent app- cations in processes of organic synthesis. The ?rst ?ve chapters are structured in the form of a textbook, going from the basic principles of enzyme structure and fu- tion to reactor design for homogeneous systems with soluble enzymes and hete- geneous systems with immobilized enzymes. The last chapter of the book is divided into six sections that represent illustrative case studies of biocatalytic processes of industrial relevance or potential, written by experts in the respective ?elds. We sincerely hope that this book will represent an element in the toolbox of gr- uate students in applied biology and chemical and biochemical engineering and also of undergraduate students with formal training in organic chemistry, biochemistry, thermodynamics and chemical reaction kinetics. Beyond that, the book pretends also to illustrate the potential of biocatalytic processes with case studies in the ?eld of organic synthesis, which we hope will be of interest for the academia and prof- sionals involved in R&D&I. If some of our young readers are encouraged to engage or persevere in their work in biocatalysis this will certainly be our more precious reward.

The whole range of biocatalysis, from a firm grounding in theoretical concepts to in-depth coverage of practical applications and future perspectives. The book not only covers reactions, products and processes with and from biological catalysts, but also the process of designing and improving such biocatalysts. One unique feature is that the fields of chemistry, biology and bioengineering receive equal attention, thus addressing practitioners and students from all three areas.

Authored by one of the world's leading organic chemists, this authoritative reference provides an overview of basic strategies in directed evolution and introduces common gene mutagenesis, screening and selection methods. Throughout the text, emphasis is placed on methodology development to maximize efficiency, reliability and speed of the experiments and to provide guidelines for efficient protein engineering. Professor Reetz highlights the application of directed evolution experiments to address limitations in the field of enzyme selectivity, substrate scope, activity and robustness. He critically reviews recent developments and case studies, takes a look at future applications in the field of organic synthesis, and concludes with lessons learned from previous experiments.

Biocatalysis, the application of enzymes as catalysts for chemical synthesis, has become an increasingly valuable tool for the synthetic chemist. Enzymatic transformations carried out by enzymes or whole-cell catalysts are used for the production of a wide variety of compounds ranging from bulk to fine chemicals. The primary consideration for the incorporation of biotransformation in a synthetic sequence is regio- and stereocontrol that can be achieved with enzyme-catalyzed reactions. Biotransformations are thus becoming accepted as a method for generating optically pure compounds as well as for developing efficient routes to target compounds. This Special Issue aims to address the main applications of biocatalysts, isolated enzymes, and whole microorganisms in the synthesis of bioactive compounds and their precursors.

Six years after the symposium on Stability and Stabilization of Enzymes, a second symposium, Stability and Stabilization of Biocatalysts, on which this book is based, was organized. At the symposium, 210 participants representing all continents came together to learn from 150 oral and poster communications.The volume brings up-to-date the work already going on, and identifies possible breakthroughs in the research. This timely book therefore presents cutting edge developments in topics such as non-covalent processes in solution, protein engineering and thermophile enzymes, immobilized enzymes, non-conventional media, and whole cells.An excellent addition to the available literature, it will make a useful contribution to this key area of applied biocatalysis.

This reference book originates from the interdisciplinary research cooperation between academia and industry. In three distinct parts, latest results from basic research on stable enzymes are explained and brought into context with possible industrial applications. Downstream processing technology as well as biocatalytic and biotechnological production processes from global players display the enormous potential of biocatalysts. Application of "extreme" reaction conditions (i.e. unconventional, such as high temperature, pressure, and pH value) - biocatalysts are normally used within a well defined process window - leads to novel synthetic effects. Both novel enzyme systems and the synthetic routes in which they can be applied are made accessible to the reader. In addition, the complementary innovative process technology under unconventional conditions is highlighted by latest examples from biotech industry.

Implementing biocatalytic strategies in an industrial setting at a commercial scale is a challenging task, necessitating a balance between industrial need against economic viability. With invited contributions from small and large-scale chemical and pharmaceutical companies, this book bridges the gap between academia and industry. Contributors discuss current processes, types of biocatalysts and improvements, industrial motivation and key aspects to economically succeed. With its focus on industry related issues, this book will be a useful tool for future research by both practitioners and academics.

Biocatalysis has become an essential tool in the chemical industry and is the core of industrial biotechnology, also known as white biotechnology, making use of biocatalysts in terms of enzymes or whole cells in chemical processes as an alternative to chemical catalysts. This shift can be seen in the many areas of daily life where biocatalysts-with