At the interface of organic synthesis and biosynthesis

August 2002

Published in: Trends in Drug Research III, in: Pharmacochemistry Library 32 (2002), 39-51

By Rob Schoevaart and Tom Kieboom
Industrial Fermentative Chemistry, Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands and DSM Food Specialties R&D, Delft, Netherlands

Organic synthesis, i.e. chemistry by mankind, uses traditionally often a step-by-step approach to convert a starting material A into a final product D, in which intermediate products B and C have to be isolated and purified for each next conversion step.

Biosynthesis, i.e. chemistry by nature, in the cells of living organisms, goes through a multi-step cascade approach to convert a starting material A into the final product D without separation of intermediates B and C:

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