To increase the uptake of biocatalytic processes by industry, it is essential to demonstrate the reliability of enzyme-based methodologies directly applied to the production of high value products.
Here, an ultra-efficient, and sustainable enzymatic platform for the multi-gram synthesis of melatonin (and analogues) was developed. The fully-automated process integrates biocatalysis and flow chemistry, maximizes the overall yields, and reduce reaction times (to 5 minutes!) bridging the gap between lab scale and industrial production.

This work was carried out in the group of Prof. Francesca Paradisi.

References:

• M. L. Contente, S. Farris, L. Tamborini, F. Molinari, F. Paradisi;
  "Flow-based enzymatic synthesis of melatonin and other high value tryptamine derivatives: a five-minute intensified process"
  Green Chem., 2019, 21(12), 3263-3266; doi:10.1039/C9GC01374A.
• M. L. Contente, F. Paradisi;
  "Self-sustaining closed-loop multienzyme-mediated conversion of amines into alcohols in continuous reactions"
  Nature Catal., 2018, 1(6), 452-459; doi:10.1038/s41929-018-0082-9.