Biocatalysis—Enzymes in Industrial Applications

A special issue of Catalysts (ISSN 2073-4344). This special issue belongs to the section "Biocatalysis".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2025) | Viewed by 915

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Engineering Research Center, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
Interests: enzyme engineering; biocatalysis; rational design; protein structure; molecular docking; molecular simulation; molecular dynamics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue entitled "Biocatalysis—Enzymes in Industrial Applications" focuses on enzyme engineering and industrial biocatalysis, i.e., with a particular emphasis on leveraging enzyme technologies for eco-friendly industrial processes. Specifically, it explores cutting-edge research and developments in the industrial application of enzymes for producing high-value products, the rational design and functional enhancement of enzymes, and the structural and mechanistic analysis of industrial enzymes.

Through a collection of original research articles, reviews, and perspectives, this Special Issue provides an opportunity for researchers to exchange ideas, share insights, and showcase the latest advancements in the field. Topics covered include:

  • Development and optimization of industrial enzyme processes.
  • Enzyme redesign and engineering for improved performance.
  • Enzyme structural analysis of catalysis mechanisms.

By integrating biocatalytic principles with enzyme engineering approaches (also with molecular simulations), this Special Issue aims to promote the development of enzymes and implementation in industrial processes. It serves as a valuable resource for researchers and practitioners working at the interface of enzymology and industrial applications, offering novel perspectives and methodologies to tackle challenges in industrial biocatalysis.

Dr. Jiaxing Zhang
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • enzyme engineering
  • biocatalysis
  • rational design
  • protein structure
  • process simulation
  • molecular simulation

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

15 pages, 3112 KiB  
Article
Efficient Production of (R)-3-Aminobutyric Acid by Biotransformation of Recombinant E. coli
by Hongtao Zhang, Qing Xu, Jiajia Lv, Jiaxing Zhang, Tongyi Dou, Shengping You, Rongxin Su and Wei Qi
Catalysts 2025, 15(5), 466; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal15050466 - 9 May 2025
Viewed by 652
Abstract
(R)-3-aminobutyric acid is an important raw material for dolutegravir production, which is a key antiretroviral medicine for AIDS treatment. Currently, the industrial production of (R)-3-aminobutyric acid relies on chiral resolution methods, which are plagued by high pollution and low yield efficiency. Here, we [...] Read more.
(R)-3-aminobutyric acid is an important raw material for dolutegravir production, which is a key antiretroviral medicine for AIDS treatment. Currently, the industrial production of (R)-3-aminobutyric acid relies on chiral resolution methods, which are plagued by high pollution and low yield efficiency. Here, we report an efficient pathway for (R)-3-aminobutyric acid production via engineered aspartase-driven biotransformation in recombinant E. coli. The engineered aspartase mutants, obtained through rational design based on catalytic mechanisms, were specifically employed to catalyze the production of (R)-3-aminobutyric acid from crotonic acid. The engineered T187L/N142R/N326L aspartase mutant exhibited the highest enzyme activity of 1516 U/mg. Through cell permeabilization, the system achieved (R)-3-aminobutyric acid yield of 287.6 g/L (96% productivity) within 24 h. Subsequent scale-up in a 7 L fermenter achieved a final product yield of 284 g/L (95% productivity) within 24 h. Economic balance showed that the cost of industrial production (¥116.21/kg) is about 1/4 of the laboratory production (¥479.76/kg). In summary, the engineered aspartase-mediated bioconversion pathway using recombinant E. coli offers an industrially viable approach for (R)-3-aminobutyric acid production, featuring mild reaction conditions, environmental sustainability, streamlined processing, high yield, and cost-effective substrates. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biocatalysis—Enzymes in Industrial Applications)
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