Dihydrogen is indicated as one of the most promising renewable energy sources
of the future. Biology and chemistry come, hand by hand, on this important topic.
The biological production of dihydrogen (hydrogenases) is discussed by Mónica
Martins, Inês A. C. Pereira, Marcos Pita, and Antonio L. De Lacey, who reviewed
the advances made in the last decade, including systems based on isolated hydrogenases, as well as those using micro-organisms through dark fermentation processes (Chapter “Biological Production of Hydrogen”). The detailed structural and
mechanistic knowledge obtained in natural systems has been used by synthetic
chemistry to generate innovative bio-inspired catalysts, as discussed by Marcetta Y.
Darensbourg, Erica Lyon Oduaran, Shengda Ding, Allen M. Lunsford, K. Dilshan
Kariyawasam Pathirana, Pokhraj Ghosh, and Xuemei Yang (Chapter
“Organometallic Chemistry Control of Hydrogenases”). These authors present a
reflection about the history of dihydrogen production/consumption that occupied,
for several years, a broad range of experimentalists and theoreticians from microbiologists, enzymologists, spectroscopists, crystallographers to both synthetic and
computational chemists; organometallic-like chemistry contributions, for modelling
and mimicking the hydrogenase active sites and the mechanisms involved, are
acknowledged.
The last five chapters are devoted to more focused biotechnological applications
developed for the benefit of humankind. The potential for biocatalysts in the
chemical industry is particularly exciting, also making an impact in larger-scale
operations. Enzyme catalysis can provide stereospecific, most important in a wide
range of fields, such as food, pharmaceutical and agricultural, chemical production
and energy (besides dihydrogen, bioethanol and biodiesel), clinical diagnostics,
environmental, forensic sciences and industrial processing. A great challenge is to
create “new enzymes” for commercially relevant chemistries not found in nature. In
addition, enzymes are extensively used in (bio)sensors as point-of-care tests, bench
instruments or continuous analysis systems in a wide range of applications.
Enzymes are by far the most commonly used biological element in biosensors,
being typically associated with electrochemical transducers. One of the best
examples for the use of enzymes is the so-called biosensors, i.e. a bioanalytical
device where enzymes play a key role in the selective recognition of the analyte, as
reviewed by Tiago Monteiro, Rosaceleste Zumpano, Célia M. Silveira, and
M. Gabriela Almeida (Chapter “Selective Enzymes at the Core of Advanced
Electroanalytical Tools: The Bloom of Biosensors”). In this chapter, the topic of
enzyme-based biosensors, with special emphasis in the electrochemical ones, is
undertaken for four representative classes of enzymes: oxidases, dehydrogenases,
reductases and hydrolases. Jean-Pierre Mahy, Frédéric Avenier, Wadih Ghattas,
Rémy Ricoux, and Michèle Salmain present current applications of artificial metalloenzymes, describing new class of hybrid catalysts, named artificial metalloenzymes, resulting from the controlled embedding of transition metal species (ions,
synthetic inorganic or organometallic complexes) within natural, genetically engineered or even de novo protein scaffolds (Chapter “Current Applications of
Artificial Metalloenzymes and Future Developments”). This chapter makes the state
of the art on the achievements attained in artificial metalloenzyme design, with
Preface
vii
of the future. Biology and chemistry come, hand by hand, on this important topic.
The biological production of dihydrogen (hydrogenases) is discussed by Mónica
Martins, Inês A. C. Pereira, Marcos Pita, and Antonio L. De Lacey, who reviewed
the advances made in the last decade, including systems based on isolated hydrogenases, as well as those using micro-organisms through dark fermentation processes (Chapter “Biological Production of Hydrogen”). The detailed structural and
mechanistic knowledge obtained in natural systems has been used by synthetic
chemistry to generate innovative bio-inspired catalysts, as discussed by Marcetta Y.
Darensbourg, Erica Lyon Oduaran, Shengda Ding, Allen M. Lunsford, K. Dilshan
Kariyawasam Pathirana, Pokhraj Ghosh, and Xuemei Yang (Chapter
“Organometallic Chemistry Control of Hydrogenases”). These authors present a
reflection about the history of dihydrogen production/consumption that occupied,
for several years, a broad range of experimentalists and theoreticians from microbiologists, enzymologists, spectroscopists, crystallographers to both synthetic and
computational chemists; organometallic-like chemistry contributions, for modelling
and mimicking the hydrogenase active sites and the mechanisms involved, are
acknowledged.
The last five chapters are devoted to more focused biotechnological applications
developed for the benefit of humankind. The potential for biocatalysts in the
chemical industry is particularly exciting, also making an impact in larger-scale
operations. Enzyme catalysis can provide stereospecific, most important in a wide
range of fields, such as food, pharmaceutical and agricultural, chemical production
and energy (besides dihydrogen, bioethanol and biodiesel), clinical diagnostics,
environmental, forensic sciences and industrial processing. A great challenge is to
create “new enzymes” for commercially relevant chemistries not found in nature. In
addition, enzymes are extensively used in (bio)sensors as point-of-care tests, bench
instruments or continuous analysis systems in a wide range of applications.
Enzymes are by far the most commonly used biological element in biosensors,
being typically associated with electrochemical transducers. One of the best
examples for the use of enzymes is the so-called biosensors, i.e. a bioanalytical
device where enzymes play a key role in the selective recognition of the analyte, as
reviewed by Tiago Monteiro, Rosaceleste Zumpano, Célia M. Silveira, and
M. Gabriela Almeida (Chapter “Selective Enzymes at the Core of Advanced
Electroanalytical Tools: The Bloom of Biosensors”). In this chapter, the topic of
enzyme-based biosensors, with special emphasis in the electrochemical ones, is
undertaken for four representative classes of enzymes: oxidases, dehydrogenases,
reductases and hydrolases. Jean-Pierre Mahy, Frédéric Avenier, Wadih Ghattas,
Rémy Ricoux, and Michèle Salmain present current applications of artificial metalloenzymes, describing new class of hybrid catalysts, named artificial metalloenzymes, resulting from the controlled embedding of transition metal species (ions,
synthetic inorganic or organometallic complexes) within natural, genetically engineered or even de novo protein scaffolds (Chapter “Current Applications of
Artificial Metalloenzymes and Future Developments”). This chapter makes the state
of the art on the achievements attained in artificial metalloenzyme design, with
Preface
vii