Speciality Chemicals Magazine JAN / FEB 2026 | Page 45

FLAVOURS & FRAGRANCES

Figure 2- Enzymatic cascade from pyruvic acid to TMP

To bridge these differences, the enzymes were arranged in a one-pot sequential cascade, allowing one at a time to act under its optimal conditions before the next biocatalyst was added, without isolating the intermediates. All transformations proceeded at 28 ° C using crude biocatalyst in form of whole cells or cell lysates. The resulting fully biocatalytic system achieved an overall TMP yield of 18 %( Figure 3).

Ongoing work now focuses on reducing side reactions and improving enzyme enantiocompatibility, advancing this process toward scalable, sustainable production of TMP and related compounds. 7

Tools & technology enablers

This work demonstrates how modern biocatalysis integrates with advanced screening and analytical platforms. Enzyme candidates were selected from diverse microbial sources and assessed using rapid activity assays and LC – MS analysis to identify the most promising catalysts for each step.

The use of whole-cell systems reduced the need for enzyme purification, cutting down process costs and preparation time, an important consideration for industrial implementation. The combination of enzymatic design and process simplification reflects the growing maturity of biocatalytic technologies and their readiness for industrial application.

This work illustrates the potential of cascade biocatalysis in developing sustainable alternatives to traditional production of flavour compounds and pharmaceutical precursors. By eliminating the need for high temperatures and enabling selective transformations, enzymatic processes can offer greener, more efficient manufacturing routes, aligning with the speciality chemicals industry’ s goals of lowering energy input, reducing waste and meeting growing consumer demand for natural ingredients.

Collaboration & future directions

The project, carried out at the Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology( ACIB), benefits from close collaboration between academic and industrial partners. These partnerships enable translation of laboratory-scale enzyme cascades into processes compatible with pilot- and productionscale fermentation.

The ongoing optimisation of the TMP cascade— including enzyme engineering and reaction engineering efforts— could be expanded beyond TMP to related nitrogen heterocycles of commercial

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100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0

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CL relevance and is expected to provide insights relevant to a broad range of speciality chemical applications.

More broadly, this project highlights how strategic enzyme combinations are redefining what is possible in chemoenzymatic synthesis, bridging the gap between academic innovation and industrial application. As enzymatic manufacturing continues to gain traction, the approach exemplifies how targeted biocatalyst development can support both environmental goals and market-competitiveness. ●

*- This work was funded by Axxence Slovakia. COMET Centre ACIB: Next Generation Bioproduction is funded by BMIMI, BMWET, SFG, Standortagentur Tirol, Government of Lower Austria and Vienna Business Agency in the framework of COMET- Competence Centres for Excellent Technologies. The COMET-Funding Programme is managed by the Austrian Research Promotion Agency, FFG

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SINGLE STEPS

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Sequential 1-POT CASCADE

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Figure 3- Comparison of single-step reactions to one-pot sequential cascade showing yield progression

JAN / FEB 2026 SPECCHEMONLINE. COM

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