Substrate-Specific Evolution of Amine Dehydrogenases for Accessing Structurally Diverse Enantiopure (R)-β-Amino Alcohols

The biocatalytic oxidative deamination of β-amino alcohols holds significant practical potential in kinetic resolution and/or deracemization process to access (R)-β-amino alcohols. This study exemplifies a notable instance of acquisition and utilization of this valuable oxidative deamination activity. Initially, the mutation N261M (M0) was...

Exciting Enzymes: Current State and Future Perspective of Photobiocatalysis

The recent increase of interest in photocatalysis spread to biocatalysis and triggered a rush for the development of light-dependent enzyme-mediated or enzyme-coupled processes. After several years of intense research on photobiocatalysis, it is time to evaluate the state of the field in a structured manner. In this Perspective, we suggest to...

Enzyme Engineering Enables Inversion of Substrate Stereopreference of the Halogenase WelO5*

Enzymatic late-stage diversification of small molecules has the potential to rapidly generate diversity in compound libraries dedicated to drug discovery. In this context, freestanding Fe(II)/α-ketoglutarate-dependent halogenases have raised particular interest as this enzyme family allows the otherwise difficult regio- and stereoselective...

A Pioneering Career in Catalysis: Manfred T. Reetz

In this invited Account, we highlight the enormous scientific breadth of our mentor Professor Manfred T. Reetz. It stretches from the development of organometallic reagents and transition metal catalysts to the adventurous idea of directed evolution of chemo-, stereo-, and regioselective enzymes, which he considered to be most important. We...