Boronic Acid-Powered Enzyme Yields Groundbreaking Catalysis

Boronic acid has been utilized in organic chemistry for decades, despite not being found in any living organism.

‘It gives rise to different chemical reactions than those we find in nature,’ explains Gerard Roelfes, Professor of Biomolecular Chemistry & Catalysis at the University of Groningen. His group created an enzyme with boronic acid at its reactive center and then used directed evolution to make it more selective and to improve its catalytic power.