Genetic Optimization of the Catalytic Efficiency of Artificial Imine Reductases Based on Biotin–Streptavidin Technology

Construction of Multi-Enzyme Integrated Catalysts for Deracemization of Cyclic Chiral Amines

Multi-enzyme cascade catalysis has become an important technique for chemical reactions used in manufacturing and scientific study. In this research, we designed a four-enzyme integrated catalyst and used it to catalyse the deracemization reaction of cyclic chiral amines, where monoamine oxidase (MAO) catalyses the enantioselective oxidation of 1-methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline (MTQ), imine reductase (IRED) catalyses the stereo selective reduction of 1-methyl-3,4-dihydroisoquinoline (MDQ), formate dehydrogenase (FDH) is used for the cyclic regeneration of cofactors, and catalase (CAT) is used for decomposition of oxidative reactions. The four enzymes were immobilized via polydopamine (PDA)-encapsulated dendritic organosilica nanoparticles (DONs) as carriers, resulting in the amphiphilic core-shell catalysts. The hydrophilic PDA shell ensures the dispersion of the catalyst in water, and the hydrophobic DON core creates a microenvironment with the spatial confinement effect of the organic substrate and the preconcentration effect to enhance the stability of the enzymes and the catalytic efficiency. The core-shell structure improves the stability and reusability of the catalyst and rationally arranges the position of different enzymes according to the reaction sequence to improve the cascade catalytic performance and cofactor recovery efficiency.

Spiers Memorial Lecture: Shielding the active site: a streptavidin superoxide-dismutase chimera as a host protein for asymmetric transfer hydrogenation

By anchoring a metal cofactor within a host protein, so-called artificial metalloenzymes can be generated. Such hybrid catalysts combine the versatility of transition metals in catalyzing new-to-nature reactions with the power of genetic-engineering to evolve proteins. With the aim of gaining better control over second coordination-sphere interactions between a streptavidin host-protein (Sav) and a biotinylated cofactor, we engineered a hydrophobic dimerization domain, borrowed from superoxide dismutase C (SOD), on Sav's biotin-binding vestibule. The influence of the SOD dimerization domain (DD) on the performance of an asymmetric transfer hydrogenase (ATHase) resulting from anchoring a biotinylated Cp*Ir-cofactor - [Cp*Ir(biot-p-L)Cl] (1-Cl) - within Sav-SOD is reported herein. We show that, depending on the nature of the residue at position Sav S112, the introduction of the SOD DD on the biotin-binding vestibule leads to an inversion of configuration of the reduction product, as well as a fivefold increase in catalytic efficiency. The findings are rationalized by QM/MM calculations, combined with X-ray crystallography.

Designing Artificial Metalloenzymes by Tuning of the Environment beyond the Primary Coordination Sphere

Metalloenzymes catalyze a variety of reactions using a limited number of natural amino acids and metallocofactors. Therefore, the environment beyond the primary coordination sphere must play an important role in both conferring and tuning their phenomenal catalytic properties, enabling active sites with otherwise similar primary coordination environments to perform a diverse array of biological functions. However, since the interactions beyond the primary coordination sphere are numerous and weak, it has been difficult to pinpoint structural features responsible for the tuning of activities of native enzymes. Designing artificial metalloenzymes (ArMs) offers an excellent basis to elucidate the roles of these interactions and to further develop practical biological catalysts. In this review, we highlight how the secondary coordination spheres of ArMs influence metal binding and catalysis, with particular focus on the use of native protein scaffolds as templates for the design of ArMs by either rational design aided by computational modeling, directed evolution, or a combination of both approaches. In describing successes in designing heme, nonheme Fe, and Cu metalloenzymes, heteronuclear metalloenzymes containing heme, and those ArMs containing other metal centers (including those with non-native metal ions and metallocofactors), we have summarized insights gained on how careful controls of the interactions in the secondary coordination sphere, including hydrophobic and hydrogen bonding interactions, allow the generation and tuning of these respective systems to approach, rival, and, in a few cases, exceed those of native enzymes. We have also provided an outlook on the remaining challenges in the field and future directions that will allow for a deeper understanding of the secondary coordination sphere a deeper understanding of the secondary coordintion sphere to be gained, and in turn to guide the design of a broader and more efficient variety of ArMs.

Evolution of strept(avidin)-based artificial metalloenzymes in organometallic catalysis

Artificial metalloenzymes have been recently established as efficient alternatives to traditional transition metal catalysts. The presence of a secondary coordination sphere in artificial metalloenzymes makes them advantageous over transition metal catalysts, which rely essentially on their first coordination sphere to exhibit their catalytic activity. Recent developments on streptavidin- and avidin-based artificial metalloenzymes have made them highly chemically and genetically evolved for selective organometallic transformations. In this review, we discuss the chemo-genetic optimization of streptavidin- and avidin-based artificial metalloenzymes for the enhancement of their catalytic activities towards a wide range of synthetic transformations. Considering the high impact in vivo applications of artificial metalloenzymes, their catalytic efficacies to promote abiological reactions in intracellular as well as periplasmic environment are also discussed. Overall, this review can provide an insight to readers regarding the design and systematic optimization of strept(avidin)-based artificial metalloenzymes for specific reactions.

Enhanced Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production by Hybrid Streptavidin-Diiron Catalysts

Hybrid protein-organometallic catalysts are being explored for selective catalysis of a number of reactions, because they utilize the complementary strengths of proteins and of organometallic complex. Herein, we present an artificial hydrogenase, StrepH2, built by incorporating a biotinylated [Fe-Fe] hydrogenase organometallic mimic within streptavidin. This strategy takes advantage of the remarkable strength and specificity of biotin-streptavidin recognition, which drives quantitative incorporation of the biotinylated diironhexacarbonyl center into streptavidin, as confirmed by UV/Vis spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography. FTIR spectra of StrepH2 show characteristic peaks at shift values indicative of interactions between the catalyst and the protein scaffold. StrepH2 catalyzes proton reduction to hydrogen in aqueous media during photo- and electrocatalysis. Under photocatalytic conditions, the protein-embedded catalyst shows enhanced efficiency and prolonged activity compared to the isolated catalyst. Transient absorption spectroscopy data suggest a mechanism for the observed increase in activity underpinned by an observed longer lifetime for the catalytic species Fe^I Fe⁰ when incorporated within streptavidin compared to the biotinylated catalyst in solution.

Recent advances in the field of artificial hemoproteins: New efficient eco-compatible biocatalysts for nitrene-, oxene- and carbene-transfer reactions

In the last few years, the field of artificial hemoproteins has been expanding through two main strategies involving either the incorporation of synthetic metalloporphyrin derivatives into the chiral cavity of a protein or the directed evolution of natural hemoproteins such as myoglobin and cytochromes P450. First, various synthetic water-soluble porphyrins including ions of transition metals such as iron and manganese have been inserted covalently or by supramolecular anchoring into non-specifically designed native proteins or into proteins modified by a minimum number of mutations. The obtained artificial hemoproteins were able to catalyze oxene transfer reactions such as epoxidation of alkenes or sulfoxidation of sulfides and cyclopropanation reactions with good activities and moderate enantioselectivities. Recently, a second approach, based on the design of the active site of already existing native hemoproteins such as myoglobin and cytochromes P450 by directed evolution, has led to new artificial hemoproteins that are able to catalyze oxene transfer reactions with improved activities as well as with abiological reactions. This approach thus provided promising tools for the catalysis of reactions such as intramolecular or intermolecular carbene and nitrene transfer reactions with high efficiencies. In addition, in all cases, after a few rounds of mutagenesis, mutants that were able to catalyze those reactions with a high enantioselectivity could be obtained. Finally, several groups showed that these new artificial metalloenzymes could also be used for the preparative scale-production of compounds with an excellent enantioselectivity, opening new pathways for the industrial synthesis of compounds of pharmaceutical interest.

A diversity of recently reported methodology for asymmetric imine reduction

This review describes recent developments in enantioselective imine reduction, including related substrates in which a CN bond is the target for reduction, and in situ methods.

Vancomycin-Iridium (III) Interaction: An Unexplored Route for Enantioselective Imine Reduction

The chiral structure of antibiotic vancomycin (Van) was exploited as an innovative coordination sphere for the preparation of an IrCp* based hybrid catalysts. We found that Van is able to coordinate iridium (Ir(III)) and the complexation was demonstrated by several analytical techniques such as MALDI-TOF, UV, Circular dichroism (CD), Raman IR, and NMR. The hybrid system so obtained was employed in the Asymmetric Transfer Hydrogenation (ATH) of cyclic imines allowing to obtain a valuable 61% e.e. (R) in the asymmetric reduction of quinaldine 2. The catalytic system exhibited a saturation kinetics with a calculated efficiency of K_cat/K_M = 0.688 h⁻¹mM⁻¹.

Artificial Metalloenzymes Based on the Biotin-Streptavidin Technology: Enzymatic Cascades and Directed Evolution

Artificial metalloenzymes (ArMs) result from anchoring a metal-containing moiety within a macromolecular scaffold (protein or oligonucleotide). The resulting hybrid catalyst combines attractive features of both homogeneous catalysts and enzymes. This strategy includes the possibility of optimizing the reaction by both chemical (catalyst design) and genetic means leading to achievement of a novel degree of (enantio)selectivity, broadening of the substrate scope, or increased activity, among others. In the past 20 years, the Ward group has exploited, among others, the biotin–(strept)avidin technology to localize a catalytic moiety within a well-defined protein environment. Streptavidin has proven versatile for the implementation of ArMs as it offers the following features: (i) it is an extremely robust protein scaffold, amenable to extensive genetic manipulation and mishandling, (ii) it can be expressed in E. coli to very high titers (up to >8 g·L^–1 in fed-batch cultures), and (iii) the cavity surrounding the biotinylated cofactor is commensurate with the size of a typical metal-catalyzed transition state. Relying on a chemogenetic optimization strategy, varying the orientation and the nature of the biotinylated cofactor within genetically engineered streptavidin, 12 reactions have been reported by the Ward group thus far. Recent efforts within our group have focused on extending the ArM technology to create complex systems for integration into biological cascade reactions and in vivo.

With the long-term goal of complementing in vivo natural enzymes with ArMs, we summarize herein three complementary research lines: (i) With the aim of mimicking complex cross-regulation mechanisms prevalent in metabolism, we have engineered enzyme cascades, including cross-regulated reactions, that rely on ArMs. These efforts highlight the remarkable (bio)compatibility and complementarity of ArMs with natural enzymes. (ii) Additionally, multiple-turnover catalysis in the cytoplasm of aerobic organisms was achieved with ArMs that are compatible with a glutathione-rich environment. This feat is demonstrated in HEK-293T cells that are engineered with a gene switch that is upregulated by an ArM equipped with a cell-penetrating module. (iii) Finally, ArMs offer the fascinating prospect of “endowing organometallic chemistry with a genetic memory.” With this goal in mind, we have identified E. coli’s periplasmic space and surface display to compartmentalize an ArM, while maintaining the critical phenotype–genotype linkage. This strategy offers a straightforward means to optimize by directed evolution the catalytic performance of ArMs. Five reactions have been optimized following these compartmentalization strategies: ruthenium-catalyzed olefin metathesis, ruthenium-catalyzed deallylation, iridium-catalyzed transfer hydrogenation, dirhodium-catalyzed cyclopropanation and carbene insertion in C–H bonds. Importantly, >100 turnovers were achieved with ArMs in E. coli whole cells, highlighting the multiple turnover catalytic nature of these systems.

Genetic Engineering of an Artificial Metalloenzyme for Transfer Hydrogenation of a Self-Immolative Substrate in Escherichia coli's Periplasm

Artificial metalloenzymes (ArMs), which combine an abiotic metal cofactor with a protein scaffold, catalyze various synthetically useful transformations. To complement the natural enzymes' repertoire, effective optimization protocols to improve ArM's performance are required. Here we report on our efforts to optimize the activity of an artificial transfer hydrogenase (ATHase) using Escherichia coli whole cells. For this purpose, we rely on a self-immolative quinolinium substrate which, upon reduction, releases fluorescent umbelliferone, thus allowing efficient screening. Introduction of a loop in the immediate proximity of the Ir-cofactor afforded an ArM with up to 5-fold increase in transfer hydrogenation activity compared to the wild-type ATHase using purified mutants.

Titanium(iv)-folded single-chain polymeric nanoparticles as artificial metalloenzyme for asymmetric sulfoxidation in water

Intrachain TiIV-oxazoline complexation together with hydrophobic interaction triggered the self-folding of an oxazoline-containing single polymeric chain in water. The formed TiIV-folded single-chain polymeric nanoparticles (SCPNs) acted as metalloenzyme-mimetic catalysts in asymmetric sulfoxidation in water owing to their organized, compartmentalized structure, effective site isolation, and also secondary coordination sphere provided by a copolymer backbone. In addition, they also could be facilely recovered for reuse by simple thermo-controlled separation.

Bovine serum albumin-cobalt(ii) Schiff base complex hybrid: an efficient artificial metalloenzyme for enantioselective sulfoxidation using hydrogen peroxide

An artificial metalloenzyme (BSA-CoL) based on the incorporation of a cobalt(ii) Schiff base complex {CoL, H2L = 2,2'-[(1,2-ethanediyl)bis(nitrilopropylidyne)]bisphenol} with bovine serum albumin (BSA) has been synthesized and characterized. Attention is focused on the catalytic activity of this artificial metalloenzyme for enantioselective oxidation of a variety of sulfides with H2O2. The influences of parameters such as pH, temperature, and the concentration of catalyst and oxidant on thioanisole as a model are investigated. Under optimum conditions, BSA-CoL as a hybrid biocatalyst is efficient for the enantioselective oxidation of a series of sulfides, producing the corresponding sulfoxides with excellent conversion (up to 100%), chemoselectivity (up to 100%) and good enantiomeric purity (up to 87% ee) in certain cases.

Ferritin encapsulation of artificial metalloenzymes: engineering a tertiary coordination sphere for an artificial transfer hydrogenase

Creating a tertiary coordination sphere around a transition metal catalyst incorporated within a protein affects its catalytic turnover and enantioselectivity.

Cyclotrimerization of phenylacetylene catalyzed by a cobalt half-sandwich complex embedded in an engineered variant of transmembrane protein FhuA

An (η⁵-cyclopentadienyl)cobalt(i) complex was covalently incorporated in an engineered variant of the β-barrel protein FhuA. The new biohydrid catalyst cyclotrimerized phenylacetylene to give regioisomeric triphenylbenzenes.

Catalytic Organic Reactions in Water toward Sustainable Society

Traditional organic synthesis relies heavily on organic solvents for a multitude of tasks, including dissolving the components and facilitating chemical reactions, because many reagents and reactive species are incompatible or immiscible with water. Given that they are used in vast quantities as compared to reactants, solvents have been the focus of environmental concerns. Along with reducing the environmental impact of organic synthesis, the use of water as a reaction medium also benefits chemical processes by simplifying operations, allowing mild reaction conditions, and sometimes delivering unforeseen reactivities and selectivities. After the "watershed" in organic synthesis revealed the importance of water, the development of water-compatible catalysts has flourished, triggering a quantum leap in water-centered organic synthesis. Given that organic compounds are typically practically insoluble in water, simple extractive workup can readily separate a water-soluble homogeneous catalyst as an aqueous solution from a product that is soluble in organic solvents. In contrast, the use of heterogeneous catalysts facilitates catalyst recycling by allowing simple centrifugation and filtration methods to be used. This Review addresses advances over the past decade in catalytic reactions using water as a reaction medium.

Artificial Metalloenzymes: Reaction Scope and Optimization Strategies

The incorporation of a synthetic, catalytically competent metallocofactor into a protein scaffold to generate an artificial metalloenzyme (ArM) has been explored since the late 1970's. Progress in the ensuing years was limited by the tools available for both organometallic synthesis and protein engineering. Advances in both of these areas, combined with increased appreciation of the potential benefits of combining attractive features of both homogeneous catalysis and enzymatic catalysis, led to a resurgence of interest in ArMs starting in the early 2000's. Perhaps the most intriguing of potential ArM properties is their ability to endow homogeneous catalysts with a genetic memory. Indeed, incorporating a homogeneous catalyst into a genetically encoded scaffold offers the opportunity to improve ArM performance by directed evolution. This capability could, in turn, lead to improvements in ArM efficiency similar to those obtained for natural enzymes, providing systems suitable for practical applications and greater insight into the role of second coordination sphere interactions in organometallic catalysis. Since its renaissance in the early 2000's, different aspects of artificial metalloenzymes have been extensively reviewed and highlighted. Our intent is to provide a comprehensive overview of all work in the field up to December 2016, organized according to reaction class. Because of the wide range of non-natural reactions catalyzed by ArMs, this was done using a functional-group transformation classification. The review begins with a summary of the proteins and the anchoring strategies used to date for the creation of ArMs, followed by a historical perspective. Then follows a summary of the reactions catalyzed by ArMs and a concluding critical outlook. This analysis allows for comparison of similar reactions catalyzed by ArMs constructed using different metallocofactor anchoring strategies, cofactors, protein scaffolds, and mutagenesis strategies. These data will be used to construct a searchable Web site on ArMs that will be updated regularly by the authors.

A copper-catalyzed arylation/nucleophilic addition/fragmentation/C–S bond formation cascade: synthesis of bis(arylthio)imines

A new arylation/nucleophilic addition/fragmentation/C–S bond formation cascade was developed using isothiocyanates and diaryliodonium salts.

Bioprobes Based on Aptamer and Silica Fluorescent Nanoparticles for Bacteria Salmonella typhimurium Detection

In this study, we have developed an efficient method based on single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) aptamers along with silica fluorescence nanoparticles for bacteria Salmonella typhimurium detection. Carboxyl-modified Tris(2,2'-bipyridyl)dichlororuthenium(II) hexahydrate (RuBPY)-doped silica nanoparticles (COOH-FSiNPs) were prepared using reverse microemulsion method, and the streptavidin was conjugated to the surface of the prepared COOH-FSiNPs. The bacteria S. typhimurium was incubated with a specific ssDNA biotin-labeled aptamer, and then the aptamer-bacteria conjugates were treated with the synthetic streptavidin-conjugated silica fluorescence nanoprobes (SA-FSiNPs). The results under fluorescence microscopy show that SA-FSiNPs can be applied effectively for the labeling of bacteria S. typhimurium with great photostable property. To further verify the specificity of SA-FSiNPs out of multiple bacterial conditions, variant concentrations of bacteria mixtures composed of bacteria S. typhimurium, Escherichia coli, and Bacillus subtilis were treated with SA-FSiNPs.In addition, the feasibility of SA-FSiNPs for bacteria S. typhimurium detection in chicken samples was assessed. All the results display that the established aptamer-based nanoprobes exhibit the superiority for bacteria S. typhimurium detection, which is referentially significant for wider application prospects in pathogen detection.

Artificial Metalloenzymes Based on the Biotin-Streptavidin Technology: Challenges and Opportunities

The biotin-streptavidin technology offers an attractive means to engineer artificial metalloenzymes (ArMs). Initiated over 50 years ago by Bayer and Wilchek, the biotin-(strept)avidin techonology relies on the exquisite supramolecular affinity of either avidin or streptavidin for biotin. This versatile tool, commonly referred to as "molecular velcro", allows nearly irreversible anchoring of biotinylated probes within a (strept)avidin host protein. Building upon a visionary publication by Whitesides from 1978, several groups have been exploiting this technology to create artificial metalloenzymes. For this purpose, a biotinylated organometallic catalyst is introduced within (strept)avidin to afford a hybrid catalyst that combines features reminiscent of both enzymes and organometallic catalysts. Importantly, ArMs can be optimized by chemogenetic means. Combining a small collection of biotinylated organometallic catalysts with streptavidin mutants allows generation of significant diversity, thus allowing optimization of the catalytic performance of ArMs. Pursuing this strategy, the following reactions have been implemented: hydrogenation, alcohol oxidation, sulfoxidation, dihydroxylation, allylic alkylation, transfer hydrogenation, Suzuki cross-coupling, C-H activation, and metathesis. In this Account, we summarize our efforts in the latter four reactions. X-ray analysis of various ArMs based on the biotin-streptavidin technology reveals the versatility and commensurability of the biotin-binding vestibule to accommodate and interact with transition states of the scrutinized organometallic transformations. In particular, streptavidin residues at positions 112 and 121 recurrently lie in close proximity to the biotinylated metal cofactor. This observation led us to develop a streamlined 24-well plate streptavidin production and screening platform to optimize the performance of ArMs. To date, most of the efforts in the field of ArMs have focused on the use of purified protein samples. This seriously limits the throughput of the optimization process. With the ultimate goal of complementing natural enzymes in the context of synthetic and chemical biology, we outline the milestones required to ultimately implement ArMs within a cellular environment. Indeed, we believe that ArMs may allow signficant expansion of the natural enzymes' toolbox to access new-to-nature reactivities in vivo. With this ambitious goal in mind, we report on our efforts to (i) activate the biotinylated catalyst precursor upon incorporation within streptavidin, (ii) minimize the effect of the cellular environment on the ArM's performance, and (iii) demonstrate the compatibility of ArMs with natural enzymes in cascade reactions.

Upregulation of an Artificial Zymogen by Proteolysis

Regulation of enzymatic activity is vital to living organisms. Here, we report the development and the genetic optimization of an artificial zymogen requiring the action of a natural protease to upregulate its latent asymmetric transfer hydrogenase activity.

An NAD(P)H-Dependent Artificial Transfer Hydrogenase for Multienzymatic Cascades

Enzymes typically depend on either NAD(P)H or FADH2 as hydride source for reduction purposes. In contrast, organometallic catalysts most often rely on isopropanol or formate to generate the reactive hydride moiety. Here we show that incorporation of a Cp*Ir cofactor possessing a biotin moiety and 4,7-dihydroxy-1,10-phenanthroline into streptavidin yields an NAD(P)H-dependent artificial transfer hydrogenase (ATHase). This ATHase (0.1 mol%) catalyzes imine reduction with 1 mM NADPH (2 mol%), which can be concurrently regenerated by a glucose dehydrogenase (GDH) using only 1.2 equiv of glucose. A four-enzyme cascade consisting of the ATHase, the GDH, a monoamine oxidase, and a catalase leads to the production of enantiopure amines.

Genetic Optimization of Metalloenzymes: Enhancing Enzymes for Non-Natural Reactions

Artificial metalloenzymes have received increasing attention over the last decade as a possible solution to unaddressed challenges in synthetic organic chemistry. Whereas traditional transition-metal catalysts typically only take advantage of the first coordination sphere to control reactivity and selectivity, artificial metalloenzymes can modulate both the first and second coordination spheres. This difference can manifest itself in reactivity profiles that can be truly unique to artificial metalloenzymes. This Review summarizes attempts to modulate the second coordination sphere of artificial metalloenzymes by using genetic modifications of the protein sequence. In doing so, successful attempts and creative solutions to address the challenges encountered are highlighted.

Immobilization of an artificial imine reductase within silica nanoparticles improves its performance

Immobilization and protection of artificial imine reductase in silica nanoparticles increases its activity and protects from various denaturing stresses.

Engineering a dirhodium artificial metalloenzyme for selective olefin cyclopropanation

Artificial metalloenzymes (ArMs) formed by incorporating synthetic metal catalysts into protein scaffolds have the potential to impart to chemical reactions selectivity that would be difficult to achieve using metal catalysts alone. In this work, we covalently link an alkyne-substituted dirhodium catalyst to a prolyl oligopeptidase containing a genetically encoded L-4-azidophenylalanine residue to create an ArM that catalyses olefin cyclopropanation. Scaffold mutagenesis is then used to improve the enantioselectivity of this reaction, and cyclopropanation of a range of styrenes and donor-acceptor carbene precursors were accepted. The ArM reduces the formation of byproducts, including those resulting from the reaction of dirhodium-carbene intermediates with water. This shows that an ArM can improve the substrate specificity of a catalyst and, for the first time, the water tolerance of a metal-catalysed reaction. Given the diversity of reactions catalysed by dirhodium complexes, we anticipate that dirhodium ArMs will provide many unique opportunities for selective catalysis.

Enantioselective imine reduction catalyzed by imine reductases and artificial metalloenzymes

Adding value to organic synthesis. Novel imine reductases enable the enantioselective reduction of imines to afford optically active amines. Likewise, novel bioinspired artificial metalloenzymes can perform the same reaction as well. Emerging proof-of-concepts are herein discussed.

Opportunities for merging chemical and biological synthesis

Organic chemists and metabolic engineers use largely orthogonal technologies to access small molecules like pharmaceuticals and commodity chemicals. As the use of biological catalysts and engineered organisms for chemical production grows, it is becoming increasingly evident that future efforts for chemical manufacture will benefit from the integration and unified expansion of these two fields. This review will discuss approaches that combine chemical and biological synthesis for small molecule production. We highlight recent advances in combining enzymatic and non-enzymatic catalysis in vitro, discuss the application of design principles from organic chemistry for engineering non-biological reactivity into enzymes, and describe the development of biocompatible chemistry that can be interfaced with microbial metabolism.