Industrial microbial enzymes: their discovery by screening and use in large-scale production of useful chemicals in Japan.

The application of microbial enzymes to large-scale organic synthesis is currently attracting much attention, and has been uniquely developed especially in Japan. The discovery of new microbial enzymes through extensive and persistent screening has brought about many new and simple routes for synthetic processes. The application of these enzymes in so-called 'hybrid processes' of enzymatic and chemical reactions, provide one possible way to solve environmental problems.