Biocatalysis and Biotransformations

Many of the reactions that take place in industry use expensive and highly polluting catalysts that can be replaced by biocatalysts which are as effective and less polluting. The book covers the different types of enzymes that can be used as well as their stabilization through different technologies, their use in non conventional media, protein modification, directed evolution and prediction of enantioselectivity by computational methods.

• Fundamentals of biocatalysis and biotransformations.

• Green Chemistry.

• Perfect easy and short guide for the organic chemist interested in replacing traditional synthetic methodologies with biocatalysis.

JM Sánchez Montero is a PhDr from the University of Córdoba, (1989), and did his postdoctoral stay (MEC-MRT1989 and Grant 1990), under the supervision of the late Prof. D. Thomas. My line of research has focused mainly on Biotransformations and Applied Biocatalysis in Organic Chemistry), specifically, my main objective has been the preparation of enantiomerically pure compounds as chemical drug precursors, mainly using proteases, lipases, whether native or immobilized. On the other hand, my work fits perfectly within Sustainable Chemistry, since these biocatalysts are recyclable and carry out reactions with very few by-products under sustainable conditions. All this has led me to publish more than 100 scientific articles, in addition to monographs and book chapters and three invention patents, as well as 78 communications to national and international congresses, all of which has allowed me to receive 5 (of 5 applied) six-year terms of Positive Research Evaluation. I have also actively participated in more than 30 funded projects, contracts and research activities of different organizations, being Principal Investigator in 3 of them. Member of the Biotransformations research group since its creation in 2004, I currently belong to the TRANBIOMAT group. At the Complutense University I have developed my research work (briefly reviewed so far) and my teaching work from 1989 to the present, where I have been a Full Professor at the UCM since March 2018. I have also taught Master's, Doctorate and Postgraduate courses in Spain, Europe (Italy) and South America (Peru and Brazil) and I have been coordinator at the UCM of the Doctoral Program with mention of Quality in Sustainable Chemistry (2005-06). Coordinator of the Master and Doctorate with mention of quality in Sustainable Chemistry (2009). On the other hand, as one of the founding members of SEBiot, the Spanish Biotechnology Society, I have been Coordinator of the Applied Biocatalysis Section (2007-2013), I have participated in the Organizing and Scientific Committees of 5 Conferences and Congresses (national and international). In addition, I am a member of the Royal Spanish Society of Chemistry (Organic Chemistry and Biological Chemistry groups), the European Federation of Biotechnology (EFB) and the REQS (Spanish Network of Sustainable Chemistry). Corresponding Academician of the Royal National Academy of Pharmacy, Deputy Director of the Computer Services of the RANF from 2009-2012. I have been recognized with several awards, among which I will mention: Cinfa Research Award 2006, Alcaliber Award 2008, Juan Abelló Award 2008, Alcalíber-Iberoamérica Award 2015 and Royal National Academy of Pharmacy Award 2015.

Prof. Andrés R. Alcántara received his B.S. (1985) and Ph.D. (1989) in Chemistry from the University of Córdoba and was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Kent at Canterbury (UK) from 1989 to 1991. Inside Complutense University of Madrid, he currently is Full Professor in Organic Chemistry since 2018. His line research is the chemoenzymatic production of chiral building blocks under sustainable conditions, promoting the use of bio-based green solvents. He is a member of the Scientific Committee of ESAB (European Society of Applied Biocatalysis) and its delegate in the Board of SusChem (European Platform of Sustainable Chemistry). He has published more than 130 scientific papers, reviews, and book chapters focused on biotransformations, receiving more than 4400 citations.