Biocatalysis
ACS GCI Pharmaceutical Roundtable - Key Research Area Grants
These grants are open to applicants from any country.
The ACS GCI Pharmaceutical Roundtable identifies key research areas representing the pharmaceutical industry’s perspective on where advances in understanding would be most likely to yield more sustainable chemistries and processes of interest to pharma and allied industries. From these areas, the GCIPR selects a handful each year for Key Research Area Grants—currently a $80,000 award for a 12-month research commitment. Grant winners work closely with the GCIPR focus team that proposed the grant topic.
Organic Wastes Treatment and Bioenergy Recovery from Biomass through Anaerobic Digestion
The generation of organic wastes, such as sludge from wastewater treatment plants and food waste, is an inevitable byproduct of human activity. In line with the Federal Pollution Prevention Act of 1990 and the principles of Green Chemistry, waste that cannot be prevented or recycled must be managed in an environmentally sustainable manner. Conventional waste management methods, including incineration and landfilling, pose significant environmental risks, such as greenhouse gas emissions and soil and groundwater contamination.
Search for New Halogenases in Native Strains of Streptomyces
Many halogenated compounds are used as intermediates in the synthesis of compounds of interest to the chemical, pharmaceutical industries; however, chemical halogenation involves the use of high-cost reagents that are often harmful to the environment.
Removal of Emerging Contaminants in Wastewater Using Biocatalysis Assisted by Electrochemical Process
Electrochemical methods like electrocoagulation (EC) can remove a vast array of compounds from wastewater but are not ideal for emerging pollutants found at low concentrations (ng/L to μg/L). In contrast, enzymes are known to effectively target these pollutants, but their performance can be hindered in complex water matrices. This work explores a biocatalytic treatment assisted by electrochemical processes to remove two emerging pollutants, Bisphenol A (BPA) and Triclosan (TCS) from municipal wastewater.
Liquefaction of Corn Stover Pellets before Pretreatment by Enzyme Biocatalysis
Use of lignocellulosic biomass in continuous processes in biorefineries poses challenges due to its recalcitrant properties, feedstock variability, and materials handling of solids at large scale. Limitations include lignin derived inhibitors, and resistance to mixing due to rheological properties of lignocellulosic particulates at high solids loadings.
Green Photoredox Catalysis Using Near-Infrared Light: Two-Photon-Absorption Enabled Cyclization
Over the past two decades, there has been a significant surge of interest in the field of ultraviolet and/or visible (UV/vis) light photocatalysis. UV-vis irradiation merged with noble metal-based photosensitizers of Ru, Ir as catalysts is most useful combination in this segment as these metal photocatalysts mostly absorb in the UV/vis region. However, high energy UV/vis irradiation sources as well as the noble-metal based photosensitizer are not considered as green.
Biocatalytic Oxidations Reactions of Primary and Secondary Alcohols: a Greener Method
Traditional methods of oxidizing alcohols often rely on toxic reagents, as well as high pressures and temperatures, which can be hazardous. In contrast, biocatalysis utilizes enzymes as natural and non-toxic catalysts, typically under milder reaction conditions. This study aims to perform oxidation reactions of primary and secondary alcohols using enzymes as catalysts.
Regioselective Biocatalytic De-O-Acetylation of Tetraacetyl Thioglycosides
Carbohydrate mimetics play vital roles in various cell-mediated processes due to their structural resemblance to natural sugars, yet they exhibit distinct properties. Thioglycosides, in which an exocyclic oxygen atom is replaced by sulfur, are recognized as key building blocks in the preparation of glycans and the development of novel monosaccharides. These compounds serve as valuable intermediates in carbohydrate chemistry, being widely utilized in sequential glycosylation strategies for oligosaccharide synthesis.
Biocatalysis
Key points
- Biocatalysis refers to the use of natural catalysts, such as protein enzymes, to conduct chemical reactions.
- These biocatalysts are particularly advantageous in chemical processes because they combine the selectivity of directing groups and the efficiency of catalysts into single reagents.
- Enzymes can also be combined with other enzymes in one-pot reactions, allowing for complex multi-step syntheses.