Biocatalytic or chemical oxidations can be used in a complementary manner for the preparation of all four diastereomers of methionine sulfoxide with high diastereomeric purity in overall isolated yields of 20-55% from methionine. The N-phthaloyl derivatives of L-and D-methionine were selectively oxidised to the (SSSC) and (SSRC) sulfoxides respectively by biotransformation using the fungus Beauveria bassiana ATCC 7159. Hydrogen peroxide oxidation of the same materials gave mixtures from which the. (SSSC) land (RSRC) isomers can be readily isolated by crystallisation. Chromatography of the residual material then afforded the (RSSC) and (SSRC)-isomers. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.