COMBINATORIAL BIOCATALYSIS - A NATURAL APPROACH TO DRUG DISCOVERY

Nature's most potent molecules are produced by enzyme-catalysed reacti ons, coupled with the natural selection of those products that possess optimal biological activity. Combinatorial biocatalysis harnesses the natural diversity of enzymatic reactions for the iterative synthesis of organic libraries. Iterative reactions can be performed using isola ted enzymes or whole cells, in natural and unnatural environments, and on substrates in solution or on a solid phase. Combinatorial biocatal ysis is a powerful addition to the expanding array of combinatorial me thods for the generation and optimization of lead compounds in drug di scovery and development.