A biocompatible alkene hydrogenation merges organic synthesis with microbial metabolism.

Organic chemists and metabolic engineers use orthogonal technologies to construct essential small molecules such as pharmaceuticals and commodity chemicals. While chemists have leveraged the unique capabilities of biological catalysts for small-molecule production, metabolic engineers have not likewise integrated reactions from organic synthesis with the metabolism of living organisms. Reported herein is a method for alkene hydrogenation which utilizes a palladium catalyst and hydrogen gas generated directly by a living microorganism. This biocompatible transformation, which requires both catalyst and microbe, and can be used on a preparative scale, represents a new strategy for chemical synthesis that combines organic chemistry and metabolic engineering.