Another microreactor milestone for biocatalysis.(Chementator)

Cofactors (or coenzymes) are required by some enzymes in order to function as catalysts. Because cofactors are expensive, they need to be regenerated in situ in order to make biotransformations feasible for industrial production of fine chemicals. Up to now, the regeneration step has eluded commercial exploitation. Researcher from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC; edlinks. che.com/4820-543) and Universite Paul Sabatier (Tolouse, France; edlinks.che. com/4820-542) may have a solution: a microfluidic electrochemical device that regenerates cofactors, such as NADH (nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide hydrogen), while avoiding side reactions that have plagued …