Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses IZI-BBTailored Biocatalysis – For Pharmaceutical Active Ingredients, Synthetic Building Blocks, and Fine Chemicals
Selective oxyfunctionalizations are among the key reactions in modern drug synthesis. Using unspecific peroxygenases (UPOs), we perform regio- and stereoselective hydroxylations, epoxidations, as well as N-/O-dealkylations, and develop robust, scalable syntheses for active pharmaceutical ingredients, metabolites, chiral building blocks, and fine chemicals. Our service portfolio covers enzyme selection, reaction and process optimization, scale-up and downstream strategies, as well as comprehensive analytics. We reliably transfer optimized biocatalytic processes from milligram-scale screening to gram-scale production, while ensuring product identity and purity. Beyond product quality, we place particular emphasis on establishing resource-efficient processes.
Characteristics and Benefits of the Technology
- Broad substrate spectrum, including aliphatic, aromatic, and heterocyclic compounds
- Direct oxyfunctionalization of non-activated C–H bonds
- Precise modification through high chemo-, regio-, and stereoselectivity
- Direct access to the production of drug metabolites
- Late-stage functionalization of complex natural products (e.g., steroids, terpenes)
- High-throughput screening for SAR studies leveraging catalytic diversity
