TY - JOUR
T1 - Looking Back
T2 - A Short History of the Discovery of Enzymes and How They Became Powerful Chemical Tools
AU - Heckmann, Christian M.
AU - Paradisi, Francesca
PY - 2020
Y1 - 2020
N2 - Enzymatic approaches to challenges in chemical synthesis are increasingly popular and very attractive to industry given their green nature and high efficiency compared to traditional methods. In this historical review we highlight the developments across several fields that were necessary to create the modern field of biocatalysis, with enzyme engineering and directed evolution at its core. We exemplify the modular, incremental, and highly unpredictable nature of scientific discovery, driven by curiosity, and showcase the resulting examples of cutting-edge enzymatic applications in industry.
AB - Enzymatic approaches to challenges in chemical synthesis are increasingly popular and very attractive to industry given their green nature and high efficiency compared to traditional methods. In this historical review we highlight the developments across several fields that were necessary to create the modern field of biocatalysis, with enzyme engineering and directed evolution at its core. We exemplify the modular, incremental, and highly unpredictable nature of scientific discovery, driven by curiosity, and showcase the resulting examples of cutting-edge enzymatic applications in industry.
KW - enzymes
KW - green chemistry
KW - history of biocatalysis
KW - immobilization
KW - protein engineering
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85091762403&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/cctc.202001107
DO - 10.1002/cctc.202001107
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:85091762403
SN - 1867-3880
VL - 12
SP - 6082
EP - 6102
JO - ChemCatChem
JF - ChemCatChem
IS - 24
ER -