Biocatalytic cascade reactions represent a powerful way of converting simple startings materials to more complex target molecules. However, in some cases the total number of enzymes required places demands on the overall efficiency of the process. In addition, many of the biocatalysts required often need to be engineered for larger scale applications. The wider availability of multi-functional biocatalysts would lead to a reduction in the enzyme count, thereby streamling the overall process. Such multi-functional biocatalysts, which contain a single active-site within the protein, are relatively under-explored raising the question how we might discover such biocatalysts in the future. Moreover, the engineering and directed evolution of such enzymes presents particular challenges since two or more different activities need to be simultaneously enhanced during the screening of protein libraries. This lecture will focus on the discovery of a new enzyme (EneIRED) which catalyses imine formation, imine reduction and alkene reduction. Aspects of the discovery and engineering of EneIREDs will be discussed together with recent synthetic applications.

Discovery, engineering & application of multi-functional biocatalysts

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ACS Spring 2023

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