Isolation and characterization of key enzyme for ephedrine production

(Epimeron Inc.) Epimeron, Inc., a world-class provider of gene discovery and biosynthetic pathway optimization, today announced the isolation and characterization of an enzyme from Ephedra sinica catalyzing an essential step in the formation of the important drugs ephedrine and pseudoephedrine. Deploying the gene encoding the newly discovered enzyme in microbes allows the production of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine by fermentation instead of using chemical processes. This breakthrough also enables the bioproduction of other pharmaceutically important related compounds.
Source: EurekAlert! - Biology - Category: Biology Source Type: news