Electrochemical-Enzymatic Synthesis of Amino Acids

这项研究的重点是开发一种工艺，允许氧化还原介体在含有酶、α-酮酸和氨源的水介质中的电极上进行电化学还原。还原的介体会将酶还原到其活性状态，进而与α-酮酸反应，以光学活性的形式提供所需的氨基酸。该工艺的优化可以为氨基酸的商业化生产提供一种经济上有竞争力的、对环境无害的方法。化学部合成有机计划和电力研究所(EPRI)共同支持卫斯理大学的阿尔伯特·J·弗莱博士和苏珊·B·索博洛夫博士以及康涅狄格大学的詹姆斯·M·芬顿博士的研究。在NSF/EPRI的电化学合成研究倡议下，这项研究的重点是开发一种用于合成α-氨基酸的电化学酶法工艺。

The focus of this research involves the development of a process which allows the electrochemical reduction of a redox mediator at an electrode in an aqueous medium containing an enzyme, an alpha-keto acid and an ammonia source. The reduced mediator will reduce the enzyme to its active state which will, in turn, react with the alpha-keto acid to afford the desired amino acid in optically active form. Optimization of the process could provide an economically competitive, environmentally benign method for the commercial production of amino acids. %%% With this award the Synthetic Organic Program of the Chemistry Division and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) are co-supporting the research of Dr. Albert J. Fry and Dr. Susan B. Sobolov of Wesleyan University and Dr. James M. Fenton of the University of Connecticut. The focus of the research, sponsored under the NSF/EPRI initiative on Research in Electrochemical Synthesis, is the development of an electrochemical-enzymatic process for the synthesis of alpha-amino acids.