Biocatalyst development by directed evolution

Biocatalysis has emerged as a great addition to traditional chemical processes for production of bulk chemicals and pharmaceuticals. To overcome the limitations of naturally occurring enzymes, directed evolution has become the most important tool for improving critical traits of biocatalysts such as thermostability, activity, selectivity, and tolerance towards organic solvents for industrial applications. Recent advances in mutant library creation and high-throughput screening have greatly facilitated the engineering of novel and improved biocatalysts. This review provides an update of the recent developments in the use of directed evolution to engineer biocatalysts for practical applications.