Our research involves the introduction of molecular biology into synthetic organic chemistry in the quest to exploit directed evolution of stereoselective enzymes as catalysts in asymmetric reactions. The goals include the implementation of efficient molecular biological strategies and techniques for probing protein sequence space rapidly and the development of high-throughput screening systems for evaluating stereoselectivity and thermostability of enzyme mutants. Current challenges include selective C-C and C-H activating oxidations of simple and complex organic compounds as well as hydrolytic processes.

1. Manfred T. Reetz was chosen to be the first Hans-Meerwein-Research-Professor at Philipps-University in Marburg.
Following the termination of his contract as Director at the Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung at the age of 68 years, Manfred T. Reetz has moved to the Philipps-University in Marburg, where he was recently elected to become the first Hans-Meerwein-Research-Professor. At his new site he directs a group of six coworkers, financed by a special fund of the Max-Planck-Society and the Mülheim MPI. Thus, he has two appointments, namely external (emeritus) group leader of the MPI für Kohlenforschung and member of the Marburg chemistry faculty.
2. Paper by Reetz group selected by Faculty 1000 as top contribution.
The post-publication peer review organization Faculty 1000 has evaluated and selected the recent publication of the Reetz group regarding "Regio- and stereoselectivity of P450-cataysed hydroxylation of steroids by laboratory evolution" (S. Kille, F. E. Zilly, J. P. Acevedo, M. T. Reetz, Nature Chem. 2011, 3, 738-743). Election of a publication to F1000 places the work of the "top 2% of published articles in biology and medicine".
3. Manfred T. Reetz has been selected to receive the Otto-Hahn-Prize for his seminal contributions to methodology development in synthetic organic chemistry, especially for his concept of directed evolution of stereoselective enzymes as catalysts in asymmetric transformations. The € 50,000 endowed prize, initiated in 2005, is awarded every two years by the German Chemical Society (GDCh), The German Physics Society (DPG) and the city of Frankfurt/Main (the birthplace of Otto-Hahn). Past winners are Theodor Hänsch (physics/2005), Gerhard Ertl (chemistry/2007) and Stefan Hell (physics/2009). The ceremony took place on November 22, 2011 in the historic Paulskirche in Frankfurt/Main.
4. Manfred T. Reetz has been selected to receive another prestigious award, namely the international Tetrahedron Prize for Creativity in Organic Chemistry 2011, endowed with $10,000.
C. G. Acevedo-Rocha, M. T. Reetz
Tuning lipase activity with perfluoro carboxylic acids as additives.
Catal. Sci. Technol. 2012, DOI: 10.1039/c2cy20173a.
Y. Gumulya, J. Sanchis, M. T. Reetz
Many Pathways in Laboratory Evolution Can Le Improved Enzymes: How to Escape from Local.
ChemBioChem 2012, DOI: 10.1002/cbic.201100784.
I. Polyak, M. T. Reetz, W. Thiel
Quantum Mechanical/Molecular Mechanical Study on the Mechanism of the Enzymatic
Baeyer-Volliger Reaction.
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2012, 134, 2732-2741.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/ja2103839
X. Feng, J. Sanchis, M. T. Reetz, H. Rabitz
Enhancing the Efficiency of Directed Evolution in Focused Enzyme Libraries by the Adaptive Substituent Reordring Algorithm.
Chem.-Eur. J. 2012, 18, 5646-5654.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/chem.201103811
M. T. Reetz
Directed Evolution of Enzymes.
In: Enzyme Catalysis in Organic Synthesis, 3. Edition, Vol. 1-3,
(Eds. K. Drauz, H. Gröger, O. May),
Wiley-VCH, Weinheim, 2012 Vol.1, pp. 119-190.
W. Augustyniak, A. A. Brzezinska, T. Pijning, H. Wienk, R. Boelens,
B. W. Dijkstra, M. T. Reetz
Biophysical characterization of mutants of Bacillus subtilis lipase evolved for thermostability: Factors contributing to increased activity retention.
Protein Sci. 2012, DOI: 10.1002/pro.2031.
Enzymes have been used as catalysts in organic chemistry and in biotechnology for more than 100 years, but broad application has never been achieved due to a number of traditional limitations which often include limited substrate scope, poor stereoselectivity and/or insufficient stability. The molecular biological methods of directed evolution offer a way out of this dilemma. Indeed, some time ago we introduced a fundamentally new approach to asymmetric catalysis, namely laboratory evolution of stereoselective enzymes as catalysts in synthetic organic chemistry. Recent methodology development in our lab culminated in iterative saturation mutagenesis, which allows us to address stereoselectivity, substrate scope and thermostability with unprecedented efficiency.
Dr. Acevedo-Cox, Juan Pablo
Dr. Acevedo Rocha, Carlos Guillermo
+49(0)6421/2825/525
Dr. Agudo Torres, Rubén
+49(0)6421/2825/525
Enk, Ellen
+49(0)208/306-2002
Dr. Kille, Sabrina
+49(0)6421/2825/525
Dr. Parra, Loreto P.
+49(0)6421/2825/525
Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Reetz (Emeritus), Manfred T.
+49(0)6421-28-25500
Dr. Roiban, Gheorghe-Doru
+49(0)6421/2825/525
Dr. Zhang, Zhi-Gang
+49(0)6421/2825/525