Simon Waltzer

TL;DR: The regio- and stereochemistry of the product in the asymmetric aliphatic-aromatic cross-benzoin reaction can be controlled solely by choice of the appropriate enzyme or enzyme variant.

TL;DR: Asymmetric mixed carboligation reactions of α-ketoglutarate with different aldehydes were explored with the thiamine diphosphate dependent enzymes SucA, Kgd and MenD to selectively deliver chiral δ-hydroxy-γ-keto acids with moderate to excellent stereoselectivity.

TL;DR: It is reported the first rationally designed (S)-selective MenD from E. coli for the synthesis of functionalized α-hydroxy ketones by mutation of two amino acids in the active site stereoselectivity of the (R)- selective EcMenD.

TL;DR: Opening the S‐pocket and simultaneous destabilization of the R‐pathway provides a potential general new strategy to enhance the S-selectivity of ThDP‐dependent enzymes.

TL;DR: The unexpected activity of MenD with short-chain α,β-unsaturated acids and derivatives as substrates in Stetter reactions is described, which provides biocatalytic access to new types of products which are not related to the products currently accessible by thiamine diphosphate dependent enzyme catalysis.