Prof. Nicholas Turner
Title: Discovery, Engineering & Application of Biocatalysts for Sustainable Synthesis
Abstract: This lecture will provide an overview of the many ways in which enzymes can be discovered, engineered and ultimately applied in target molecule synthesis. Examples will be taken from the Turner lab to illustrate the various concepts and themes that underpin contemporary biocatalysis.
Bio: Nicholas Turner is Professor of Chemical Biology, former Director of the Centre of Excellence in Biocatalysis (CoEBio3) and co-Director of SYNBIOCHEM. His research interests span biocatalysis, directed evolution of enzymes and synthetic biology. He has published >450 papers/patents with an h-index of 83 and ca. 24,000 citations. He is a member of several Scientific Advisory Boards and consults widely. He has received many awards for his research achievements and held an ERC Advanced Grant (2017-2023). In May 2020 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) and in 2021 he became a Member of Academia Europea (MAE).
The Turner group (www.turner-biocatalysis.com/) is at the forefront of research aimed at creating new enzymes for application as biocatalysts for chemical synthesis. We employ both protein engineering and directed evolution methods in order to develop biocatalysts with tailored properties such high stereoselectivity, improved activity and enhanced stability. These biocatalysts have been applied to the synthesis of a range of target molecules especially pharmaceuticals:
- Alcohols to amines via biocatalytic ‘hydrogen borrowing’ (Science, 2015, 349, 1525; Angew Chem, 2017, 56, 10491; ChemCatChem, 2017, 9, 3833; JACS, 2019, 141, 1201).
- Reductive aminases (RedAms), imine reductases (IREDs) and carboxylic acid reductases (CARs) (Nature Chem, 2020, 13, 140; Nature Chem, 2017, 9, 961; Nature Chem Biol, 2017, 13, 975; JACS, 2018, 140, 17872; Nature, 2022, 604, 86).
- Cascade reactions (Angew Chem, 2016, 55, 1511; Angew Chem, 2014, 53, 2447; Nature Chem, 2013, 5, 93).
- Biocatalytic retrosynthesis (Nature Catalysis, 2021, 4, 98; Nature Chem Biol, 2013, 9, 285; Angew Chem, 2017, 56, 8942; Angew Chem, 2018, 57, 3692).
- Deracemisation of amines (Angew Chem, 2014, 53, 3731; JACS, 2013, 135, 10863).
- Asymmetric alkene amination (JACS, 2015, 137, 12977; Angew Chem, 2015, 54, 4608).
Keywords: Biocatalysis; Directed evolution; Pharmaceuticals; Sustainable chemistry; Retrosynthesis; Deracemization
Host: Prof. Andrew Buller