(Chemo)enzymatic cascades - Nature's synthetic strategy transferred to the laboratory

Abstract

The astonishing efficiency with which living organisms build complex molecules from abundant starting materials has inspired chemists for centuries. Among the synthetic strategies that nature uses to achieve this efficiency, the combination of several enzymatic transformations in cascading sequences is of outstanding importance. With the rise of biocatalysis, researchers now have the tools at hand to mimic this strategy and develop artificial enzyme cascades of impressive complexity. This editorial review aims to introduce the reader to some key aspects of (Chemo)enzymatic Cascades, as well as to put the submissions to the present Special Issue into a broader perspective.