Enzymatic synthesis of amines involving transaminases and imine reductases

Abstract

The biocatalytic synthesis of amines has increasingly been highlighted as a powerful alternative to existing methods owing many advantages such as mild reaction conditions, sustainability of the biocatalysts, less solvent usage and excellent selectivity. Transaminases (TAs) and imine reductases (IREDs) are two classes of enzymes which catalyse the synthesis of amines by coupling ketones or aldehydes with ammonia or other amine partners. The applicability and potential of these enzymes has been demonstrated in multiple occasions, but extensive progress still needs to be made in order to make these methods a “first choice” for the chemical industry. In this thesis, the synthetic potential of these enzymes has been further explored through studies on the reactivity of the enzymes under specific conditions, screening of enzymes for new applications, and the incorporation of biocatalysts in multi-enzymes cascades for the synthesis of amines with structural variability and different applications. Except for the introduction, all the work enclosed in this thesis has been published or submitted in peer reviewed journals

Date of Award	1 Aug 2022
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	The University of Manchester
Supervisor	Sabine Flitsch (Supervisor) & Nicholas Turner (Supervisor)