Our main research interests are in the areas of biocatalysis, enzyme engineering, enzyme immobilization and synthesis of functional compounds as drug intermediates.

1. Enzyme catalyzed chiral oxidations and reductions. Employing galactose oxidase and other enzymes to catalyze kinetic resolutions, deracemizations of complex molecules.

2. Biocatalysis of axially chiral compounds. Employing enzyme catalyzed cascade reactions to synthesize atropisomers in high optical purity.

3. Nano-materials and enzyme composite catalytic systems. Employing nano-materials as carriers to immobilize enzymes for biocatalysis and large-scale manufacturing of functional compounds.

[1]  P. Zhang#, B. Yuan#, J. Li, C. Li, J. Guo, B. Zhang, G. Qu, H. Su, N. J. Turner, Z. Sun*, Biocatalytic Desymmetrization for the Atroposelective Synthesis of Axially Chiral Biaryls Using an Engineered Imine Reductase, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed, 2024, e202416569.

[2]  J. Li#, B. Yuan#, C. Li, Z. Zhao, J. Guo, P. Zhang, G. Qu, Z. Sun*, Stereoselective Synthesis of Oxetanes Catalyzed by anEngineered Halohydrin Dehalogenase, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed, 2024, e202411326.

[3]  P. Xie, J. Lan, J. Zhou, Z. Hu, J. Cui, G. Qu, B. Yuan*, Z. Sun*, Co-immobilization of amine dehydrogenase and glucose dehydrogenase for the biosynthesis of (S)-2-aminobutan-1-ol in continuous flow. Bioresour. Bioprocess, 2024, 11, 70.

[4]  B. Yuan*, D. Yang, G. Qu, N. J. Turner* and Z. Sun*, Biocatalytic Reductive Aminations with NAD(P)H-Dependent Enzymes: Enzyme Discovery, Engineering and Synthetic Applications, Chem Soc Rev, 2024, 53, 227.

[5]  M. Ye, C. Li, D. Xiao, G. Qu, B. Yuan* and Z. Sun*, Atroposelective Synthesis of Aldehydes via Alcohol Dehydrogenase-Catalyzed Stereodivergent Desymmetrization, JACS Au, 2024, 4, 411.

[6]  X. Li, J. Wang, W. Su, C. Li, G. Qu, B. Yuan* and Z. Sun*, Characterization and Engineering of Cephalosporin C Acylases to Produce 7-Aminocephalosporanic Acid, Mol. Catal, 2023, 550, 113595.

[7]  Y. Li, C. Bao, Z. Sun, W. Zhang* and B. Yuan*, Comparison Between Chemoenzymatic and Bienzymatic Cascades Leading to Morita–Baylis–Hillman Adducts, ChemCatChem, 2023, 15, e202201621.

[8]  W. Huang, S. Huang, Z. Sun, W. Zhang, Z. Zeng* and B. Yuan*, Chemoenzymatic Synthesis of Sterically Hindered Biaryls by Suzuki Coupling and Vanadium Chloroperoxidase Catalyzed Halogenations, ChemBioChem, 2023, 24, e202200610.

[9]  S. Song#, Y. Jiang#, R. Chen, W. Su, W. Liang, D. Yang, J. Li, W. Zhang, S. Gao, B. Yuan*, G. Qu*, Z. Sun*, Whole-Cell Biotransformation of Penicillin G by a Three-Enzyme Co-expression System with Engineered Deacetoxycephalosporin C Synthase. ChemBioChem, 2022, 23, e202200179.

[10]  B. Yuan, D. Mahor, Q. Fei, R. Wever, M. Alcalde, W. Zhang*, F. Hollmann*, Water-Soluble Anthraquinone Photocatalysts Enable Methanol Driven Enzymatic Halogenation and Hydroxylation Reactions, ACS Catalysis, 2020, 10, 8277.

[11]  B. Yuan, D. Debecker, X. Wu, J. Xiao, Q. Fei*, N. J. Turner*, One-pot Chemoenzymatic Deracemisation of Secondary Alcohols Employing Variants of Galactose Oxidase and Transfer Hydrogenation, Chemcatchem, 2020, 12, 6191.

[12]  B. Yuan, A. Page, C. P. Worrall, F. Escalettes, S. C. Willies, J. J. W. McDouall, N. J. Turner* and J. Clayden*, Biocatalytic Desymmetrization of an Atropisomer with both an Enantioselective Oxidase and Ketoreductases, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed, 2010, 49, 7010.

[13]  T. Cui#, B. Yuan#, H. Guo, H. Tian, W. Wang, Y. Ma, C. Li, Q. Fei*，Enhanced Lignin Biodegradation By Consortium Of White Rot Fungi: Microbial Synergistic Effects And Product Mapping, Biotechnol. Biofuels, 2021, 14, 162.

[14]  B. Yuan, F. Escalettes, N. J. Turner*, Practical Methods for Biocat. and Biotrans. 2, Chapter 6.2 & Chapter 6.3, 2012, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

[15]  Qin Z, Yuan B, Qu G*, Sun Z*. Rational enzyme design by reducing the number of hotspots and library size. Chem. Commun., 2024, 60, 10451-10463.

[16]  H. Ming, B. Yuan, G. Qu*, Z. Sun*, Engineering the activity of Amine Dehydrogenase in the Asymmetric Reductive Amination of Hydroxyl Ketones, Catal. Sci. Technol, 2022, 12, 5952.

[17]  Y. Li, B. Yuan, Z. Sun, W. Zhang* C-H Bond Functionalization Reactions Enabled by Photobiocatalytic Cascades, 2021, Green Synth. Catal., 2, 267.

[18]  S. Staniland, B. Yuan, N. Gimenez-Agullo, T. Marcelli, S. C. Willies, D. M. Grainger, N. J. Turner*, and J. Clayden*, Enzymatic Desymmetrising Redox Reactions for the Asymmetric Synthesis of Biaryl Atropisomers, Chem. Eur. J., 2014, 20, 13084.

[19]  Li Y, Yuan B, Sun Z, Zhang W. C–H bond functionalization reactions enabled by photobiocatalytic cascades. Green Synth. Catal., 2021, 2 (3), 267-274.

[20]  Li X, Li C, Qu G, Yuan B, Sun Z*. Engineering of a Baeyer-Villiger monooxygenase to improve substrate scope, stereoselectivity and regioselectivity. ChemBioChem, 2024, e202400328.

[21]  Wang Q, Li C, Yuan B, Yu A, Qu G*, Sun Z*. Engineering the activity of a newly identified arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase in the acetylation of 5-hydroxytryptamine. ChemBioChem, 2024, e202400069.

[22]  Ren Y, Qin Z, Li C, Yuan B, Yang Y, Qu G*, Sun Z*. Engineering the activity and thermostability of a carboxylic acid reductase in the conversion of vanillic acid to vanillin. J. Biotechnol., 2024, 386, 19-27.

[23]  Paul C, Hanefeld U, Hollmann F*, Qu G, Yuan B, Sun Z. Enzyme engineering for biocatalysis. Mol. Catal., 2024, 555, 113874.

[24]  Sang X, Tong F, Zeng Z, Wu M, Yuan B, Sun Z, Sheng X, Qu G, Alcalde M, Hollmann F, Zhang W. A Biocatalytic Platform for the Synthesis of Enantiopure Propargylic Alcohols and Amines. Org. Lett., 2022, 24(23), 4252-4257.