Combining bio- and chemo-catalysis: from enzymes to cells, from petroleum to biomass

In the future, biomass will continue to emerge as a viable source of chemicals. The development of new industries that utilize bio-renewables provides opportunities for innovation. For example, bio- and chemo-catalysts can be combined in ‘one pot’ to prepare chemicals of commercial value. This has been demonstrated using isolated enzymes and whole cells for a variety of chemical transformations. The one-pot approach has been successfully adopted to convert chemicals derived from biomass, and, in our opinion, it has an important role to play in the design of a more sustainable chemical industry. To implement new one-pot bio- and chemo-catalytic processes, issues of incompatibility must be overcome; the strategies for which are discussed in this opinion article.