Our core competence is fine chemicals

4chiral is a network for fine chemicals in Central Germany, operating under the motto “our core competence is fine organic synthesis.” The network partners come from the fine chemicals and biotechnology industries and have established a successful market presence. They draw on extensive experience and a broad range of technologies and analytical methods. The network’s members (currently over 30 companies, four universities, and two universities of applied sciences) engage in active collaboration on the synthesis of organic fine chemicals and carry out related research and development projects. Key areas of focus include the development and optimization of new products and technologies, as well as contract synthesis and contract manufacturing of both established and new products. A particular focus of the work is on pharmaceutically relevant enantiomers. The development, optimization, and production of catalysts for enzymatic syntheses are also part of the network’s area of expertise.

What is the reason for the inclusion of the early-career research group in the 4chiral network ?

At the Faculty of Natural and Environmental Sciences at Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences, the early-career research group Biocatalysis Platform Zittau (BioPlatZ) began a research paper in October 2017 on the topic “Identification of enzymes as biocatalysts and their application in bio- and chemocatalytic processes for the production of fine chemicals.” The project is funded by the European Social Fund and the Sächsische Aufbaubank. As part of this interdisciplinary project, novel energy- and resource-efficient synthetic processes are to be developed for compounds that, when used as active ingredients, require a high degree of purity.

By using whole cells or isolated enzymes as biocatalysts, the project aims to enable selective transformations of starting materials, which in turn serve as building blocks for the synthesis of complex chiral molecules. This combination of biotechnological and chemical approaches enables the incorporation of bio-based raw materials into the sustainable, energy-efficient, and environmentally friendly production of fine chemicals as “high added-value” products.

The team of the BioPlatZ Early-Career Research Group consists of six young scientists from Germany, the Czech Republic, and Kazakhstan. Specifically, over the next three years, the group will investigate chemo-enzymatic syntheses of “chiral building blocks.” “Chemo-enzymatic” refers to the use of both chemical and biological catalysts.

The common goal of the BioPlatZ Early-Career Research Group is to use chemo-enzymatic reactions to produce chemical compounds that have a specific, precisely defined configuration. This means that the structures produced in the junior research group must have a specific three-dimensional arrangement in space in order to be used as “chiral building blocks.” “Chiral building blocks” are thus small molecules with defined stereochemistry that are later used to create pharmaceutical products, such as active ingredients for treating high blood pressure.

The junior research team is composed of members from three disciplines:

Biochemistry is supervised by Professor Annett Fuchs, organic chemistry is led by Professor Dieter Greif, and microbiology is headed by Professor Thomas Wiegert. In this configuration, each discipline can contribute its expertise.

Professor Wiegert is able to modify microorganisms precisely to achieve a specific reaction. Professor Fuchs takes the genetically optimized strains and performs a screening. Finally, Professor Greif carries out the chemical reactions and obtains the desired products.