AMAB (2025): “Self-sufficient biocatalytic cascade for the continuous synthesis of danshensu in flow”
A new strategy has been developed to successfully produce the active component danshensu ex vivo. For this purpose, phenylalanine dehydrogenase from Bacillus sphaericus was combined with the novel hydroxyphenylpyruvate reductase from Mentha x piperita, thereby providing an in-situ cofactor regeneration throughout the conversion process. The purified enzymes were co-immobilized and subsequently employed in batch biotransformation, […]
RSC Sust. (2024): “Membrane-immobilized transaminases for the synthesis of enantiopure amines”
For the manufacture of enantiopure amines, greener synthesis processes are needed. Transaminases (TAs) are able to produce chiral amines with excellent enantioselectivity and in mild conditions, and can be immobilized to target stability, recoverability, and reusability. In the perspective of process intensification, we propose to study TA immobilization onto polymeric membranes. Two main immobilization strategies […]
Helv. Chim. Acta (2024): “Cost-Effective and Sustainable Scale-Up of Short-Chain Primary Amines”
Amines, crucial components in various industries, play a pivotal role in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and specialty chemicals. Recognizing the environmental impact of conventional methods for their preparation, our study centers on the utilization of abundantly available natural molecules, specifically amino acids, as precursors for short chain amine synthesis. This paper focuses on the […]
OPRD (2024): “Solvent Switching in Continuous Multistep Chemoenzymatic Synthesis: Telescoping Enzymatic Synthesis of Chiral, Pyridine-Containing Amines with Cross-Coupling as a Case Study”
Chiral α-(hetero)aryl primary amines are gaining momentum for their biological activities and their use as building blocks in more complex molecules. Here we report a continuous chemoenzymatic strategy from 2-acetyl-6-bromopyridineenabled by careful solvent selection and phase switching. Combining a first biocatalytic transamination reaction performed by TsRTA in a biphasic system in continuous flow, with in […]
Angewandte Chemie (2024): “Engineering a Dual-Functionalized PolyHIPE Resin for Photobiocatalytic Flow Chemistry”
The use of a dual resin for photobiocatalysis, encompassing both a photocatalyst and an immobilized enzyme, brings several challenges including effective immobilization, maintaining photocatalyst and enzyme activity and ensuring sufficient light penetration. However, the benefits such as integrated processes, reusability, easier product separation, and potential for scalability can outweigh these challenges, making dual resin systems […]
OPRD (2024): “Biocatalyst Immobilization and Process Intensification: Production of (S)-Piperazine-2-carboxylic Acid Dihydrochloride”
“Biocatalysis, the use of enzymes to produce chemicals, offers numerous advantages over traditional organic chemistry. The most important ones are the excellent regio-, chemo-, and stereoselectivities that can be achieved, the high functional group tolerance, and the fact that biocatalytic transformations can usually be carried out in pure water. In this work, we have applied […]
Green Chemistry (2024): “Rapid production of the anaesthetic mepivacaine through continuous, portable technology”
Local anaesthetics such as mepivacaine are key molecules in the medical sector, so ensuring their supply chain is crucial for every health care system. Rapid production of mepivacaine from readily available commercial reagents and (non-dry) solvents under safe conditions using portable, continuous apparatus could make an impactful difference in underdeveloped countries. In this work, we […]
Reaction Chemistry and Engineering (2023): “Boosting the catalytic performance of a marine yeast in a SpinChem reactor for the synthesis of perillyl alcohol”
A sustainable approach for the reduction of perillaldehyde to perillyl alcohol (POH) through alginate immobilized yeast cell beads has been here developed. The process was optimized in small-scale batch reactions and then scaled up in a rotating bed reactor (SpinChem®), enhancing productivity while reducing catalyst loading thanks to better mass transfer and catalyst/substrate interaction (i.e., […]
Frontiers in Chemistry (2023): “Challenging DESs and ILs in the valorization of food waste: a case study”
Finally out our collaborative work on the rivalorization of food waste part of the @susfood_eranet network. Great collaboration with Lorenzo Guazzelli at the University of Pisa and credits for our contribution go to Nick Moody! Abstract: In this study, the efficacy of two of the best performing green solvents for the fractionation of lignocellulosic biomass, […]
Journal of Flow Chemistry (2023): “Perspective on flow biocatalysis: the engine propelling enzymatic reactions”
Well done Ana on this beautifully written perspective! Abstract: Flow biocatalysis has emerged as an empowering tool to boost the potential of enzymatic reactions towards more automatized, sustainable, and generally efficient synthetic processes. In the last fifteen years, the increasing number of biocatalytic transformations carried out in continuous flow exemplified the benefits that this technology […]