Enzyme-driven bioprocesses

Biocatalysis for green chemistry and chemical process development
Junhua Tao and Romas Kazlauskas (eds)
John Wiley & Sons
2011 | 496p | ?83.50 (HB)
ISBN 9780470437780
Reviewed by Wei Zhu

This book provides readers with an insight into enzyme-driven bioprocesses for green chemistry applications. It is the first book to classify and summarise in a comprehensive manner different types of enzymes used to achieve greener organic syntheses. 

The first four chapters introduce the basic concepts and recent developments of biocatalysis and its application to green chemistry. These introductory chapters are written in sufficient depth for readers to understand the subsequently presented applications. The remaining chapters discuss the usage of biocatalysis in sustainable chemical manufacturing in various industries. 

Carefully chosen sub-disciplines include pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, agrochemicals, and fine chemicals, among others. Readers can easily understand the biological and chemical synthetic procedures through the well-chosen figures and tables that accompany the text. Specific examples are provided in each chapter which enable readers to explore the clear scientific and technological explanations. Finally, a conclusion and summary section is presented at the end of each chapter for further discussion and the prediction of future developments. 

This book is well organised, containing most key subjects one would expect in the multiple research areas of biocatalysis. It is suitable for graduate level students, postdocs, and industrial researchers. It also can be regarded as an auxiliary textbook for students who wish to know the pros and cons of biocatalysis in chemical processes, and what the future holds for the development of biotechnology in green chemistry. 

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