In this episode, Dani and LC welcome Jeff Moore, recipient of the 2025 ACS Affordable Green Chemistry Award, to discuss his pioneering work in biocatalysis at Merck. The conversation explores the evolution (pun intended) of biocatalytic processes in pharmaceutical manufacturing, highlighting key milestones such as the adoption of transaminases and imine reductases, and their impact on drug synthesis and sustainability. Jeff shares stories from his career, including how being 'lazy' when doing science can lead to major innovations and the practical benefits of enzyme-driven chemistry. He even leaves us with insights into the future frontiers of biocatalysis, from cascade reactions to microfluidics.
Read some of the papers we discussed today:
Convergent Kilogram-Scale Synthesis of Dual Orexin Receptor Antagonist - Organic Letters
Biocatalytic Asymmetric Synthesis of Chiral Amines from Ketones Applied to Sitagliptin Manufacture - Science
Enabling Biocatalysis by High-Throughput Protein Engineering Using Droplet Microfluidics Coupled to Mass Spectrometry - ACS Omega
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