Biotransformations of non-natural compounds: State of the art and future development

The transformation of non-natural compounds by enzymes - generally referred to as 'biocatalysis' - has evolved as a trend-section of organic synthesis during the mid-eighties. As a consequence, a remarkable number of reliable biochemical techniques have been developed during the last decade, which constitute powerful tools for modem organic synthesis. In this report, the state of the art of biotransformations as well as future developments are critically reviewed with respect to strengths and weaknesses of the existing methods.