Biochemical Catalysts In Life And Industry

Excerpt from Biochemical Catalysts in Life and Industry: Proteolytic Enzymes All, so far as Chemistry yet permits us to say, have composi tions similar to those of the albuminoids. However, they are accompanied by mineral matter whose presence has been recog nized, in certain cases, as being useful, or even necessary as, for example, manganese in the process of oxidation, or calcium in the coagulation of blood so that one ends by asking if the rcle of these substances, in vital manifestations in general, is not even a greater one than has hitherto been supposed. The constant presence of iron in the hemoglobin, of magnesium in the chloro phyll, or of iodine in the thyroids, is perhaps an indication of unknown catalytic action, which would thus explain the physi ological importance of these substances, from the points of View of respiration, the assimilation of carbon dioxide and the normal functioning of the organism, respectively. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

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The application of enzymes or whole cells (fermentatively active or resting; microbial, plant, or animal) to carry out selective transformations of commercial importance is the central theme of industrial biocatalysis. Traditionally, biocatalysis has been in the domain of the life scientist or biochemical engineer. However, recent advances in this field have enabled biocatalytic processes to compete head on with, and in some cases out perform, conventional chemical processing. Chemo-biocatalytic systems are being developed thereby combining the most attractive features of bio catalysts, namely high specificity, with those of chemical catalysts, such as high reactivities and wide substrate specificities. Hence, synthetic chemists and chemical engineers are now beginning to use biocatalysts as highly selective reagents in chemical synthesis and processing. This book is about biocatalysts and their past, present, and potential applications in the food, pharmaceutical, and chemical industries. The con cept of the book did not emanate from a meeting. Rather, it is a compila tion of selected examples where biocatalysis either has already made a significant impact in the aforementioned industries, or has the potential to make a substantial contribution. I have been fortunate to have assembled contributions from world-class researchers in the field of biocatalysis. Their timely contributions are sincerely appreciated.

Industrial Catalysis provides an excellent introduction to catalytic principles and processes, addressing the applications of inorganic-, organic- and biocatalysts in industrial chemistry. Each chapter is focussed on one catalytic process and discusses its life cycle from source materials, catalyst synthesis, the catalytic process, lifetime and recovery. The book also includes a comprehensive overview on industrial processes employing catalysis.

The whole range of biocatalysis, from a firm grounding in theoretical concepts to in-depth coverage of practical applications and future perspectives. The book not only covers reactions, products and processes with and from biological catalysts, but also the process of designing and improving such biocatalysts. One unique feature is that the fields of chemistry, biology and bioengineering receive equal attention, thus addressing practitioners and students from all three areas.

This book provides an excellent overview on state-of-the-art of modern organocatalysis. It presents the contributions from leading experts, with backgrounds in academia and industry, to an Ernst Schering Research Foundation Symposium held in April 2007. It will be of interest to those who want a general overview of the topic, but also to those who want to learn more about the state-of-the-art, current trends and perspectives in this highly dynamic field of research.