SciFinder Provides Drug and Biotech Researchers Efficient Access to Information on Biotransformations
CAS Research Tool Serves Heightened Interest in Enzymatically Catalyzed Reactions for Industrial Applications
San Francisco, CA, September 10, 2006 - Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) is addressing the growing interest in biology-based synthesis by making access to information on enzymatic reactions and other biotransformations easy to find through its SciFinder research tool. A new audience of researchers eager to go beyond traditional synthetic processes has found a wealth of information in the literature and patent records in CAS databases. CAS demonstrated SciFinder and its biotech applications during the American Chemical Society national meeting held in San Francisco, September 10 though 14.
"CAS has processed decades worth of journal literature and patents containing information on biotransformations--reactions mediated by biological species-- including enzymatic reactions, which our scientists have been analyzing and adding to CAS databases," said CAS Vice President, Editorial Operations, Dr. Matthew J. Toussant. "An explosion of interest in using enzymes to synthesize substances more efficiently has made CAS databases and search tools, such as SciFinder, useful in many hot research areas of industrial biotech."
CAS reaction information extends back to 1840 and among the 11 million reaction records are thousands for biotransformations. Applying such biotransformations to industrial processes can improve cost efficiency and environmental safety, via greener methods. In addition, CAS literature databases reference a wealth of research on biological processes relating to drugs, food, materials and energy, among other applications.
Just as yeast has been used since ancient times to induce fermentation for making beer, biological entities and enzymes play a role in many chemical reactions. Applying such biotransformations to industrial processes can improve cost efficiency and environmental safety. For example, biologically important chemicals can exist in two molecular forms that are mirror images of each other, with a right-hand and left-hand version. But only one version (or stereoisomer) may be valuable for the intended purposes (medicinal, specialty chemical and others), and isolating it may be difficult and costly using classical organic synthesis. However, a biological entity may produce an enzyme that is naturally selective for the desired molecule. Using such enzymes in biocatalysis can produce high purity substances in the desired quantities. SciFinder can easily lead scientists to information on these innovative chemical processes.
CAS, a division of the American Chemical Society, provides the world's largest and most current collection of chemical and related scientific information, including the most authoritative database of chemical substances, the CAS RegistrySM. CAS combines these databases with advanced search and analysis technologies to deliver the most complete, crosslinked and effective digital information environment for scientific research and discovery, including such products as SciFinder, SciFinder Scholar, STN, STN Express and STN AnaVist, among others.
Updated 1/3/2008 3:44:08 PM
