Towards catalyst compartimentation in combined chemo- and biocatalytic processes: immobilization of alcohol dehydrogenases for the diastereoselective reduction of a β-hydroxy ketone obtained from an organocatalytic aldol reaction.
The alcohol dehydrogenases (ADHs) from Lactobacillus kefir and Rhodococcus sp., which earlier turned out to be suitable for a chemoenzymatic one-pot synthesis with organocatalysts, were immobilized with their cofactors on a commercially available superabsorber based on a literature known protocol. The use of the immobilized ADH from L. kefir in the reduction of acetophenone as a model substrate led to high conversion (>95%) in the first reaction cycle, followed by a slight decrease of conversion in the second reaction cycle. A comparable result was obtained when no cofactor was added although a water rich reaction media was used. The immobilized ADHs alsoGuest David Conradsen, Curator of Decorative Arts & Design at the St. Louis Art Museum, outlines the types of work that make up the Decorative Arts collection, why one piece in particular is so revolutionary, and what exactly happens at the museum on Mondays.

Guest Lisa Melandri, Director of the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, explains the benefits of being a collection-less museum and shares a number of upcoming highlights that visitors to CAM can look forward to over next few months.