The book covers the most important enzymatic reactions and related catalytic bioorganic reactions using a new approach: Each enzymatic reaction type is compared with organocatalytic, organometallic and other alternative reactions, allowing the reader to understand catalytic reactions in a much-integrated way. It describes enzymatic C-C bond formation using aldolases, Claisen-type C-C bond formation involving fatty acid synthases and polyketide synthases, biomimetic cyclisations involving carbenium ions, enzymatic oxidation and C-H activation, as well as dioxygenases and oxidoreductases. With its unique approach, the book is a valuable source of information for professionals and researchers in academia and industry as well as graduate and PhD students working in the fields of organic chemistry, biochemistry, and life sciences.

Wolf-Dietrich Woggon is Professor in the department of Chemistry (University of Basel). He completed his undergraduate education in Geology and Chemistry at the Freie Universität Berlin and his PhD in Organic Chemistry at the University of Zurich with the late Hans Schmid. After a postdoctoral stay with Alan Battersby in Cambridge (UK) he started his independent research at the University of Zurich and completed his habilitation in 1985. In 1995 he became professor at the University of Basel where he stayed ever since. His research interests include the synthesis of enzyme models, enzymatic reaction mechanisms, isolation of new enzymes, the synthesis of vitamins, metalloporphyrins, cyclodextrins and the development of new ligand-scaffolds for metallorganic catalysis. His work has been published in more than 140 papers. He has served for six years as head of the Department of Chemistry at the University of Basel and for further five years as its managing director. He is a consultant of several chemical companies in Switzerland.