NATURAL PRODUCT SYNTHESIS VIA BIOCATALYSIS - AN ESSAY ON THE MERITS OF MULTIDISCIPLINARY VENTURES

A critical opinion is advanced on the merits of multidisciplinary vent ures in synthetic organic chemistry. In particular, the concept of a ' 'tool box'' of methodologies available for effective solutions to prob lems in organic synthesis is analyzed in the context of available exam ples from the literature as well as from the ongoing projects in our r esearch group. The discussion of several cases of recently accomplishe d total syntheses offers evidence that the introduction of biocatalyti c methods greatly improves the overall process of preparation of targe t compounds. Some examples of such projects form also the topic of the authors lecture at the 8(th) Brazilian Meeting on Organic Synthesis i n September 1998.