CENTER RATIONAL
Enzyme-catalysis is a powerful tool that has not yet received adequate attention in Polymer Science. Enzymes are well known to operate under mild conditions, with impressive selectivity, on a diverse range of natural and non-natural substrates. These characteristics provide exciting opportunities to furnish additional control of polymer structure without adding processing steps. Furthermore, the opportunity to synthesize polymers at reduced temperature in the absence of heavy metal catalysts is in itself of great importance. The rapid pace of developments in biotechnology that have made available a wide array of enzymes, as well as powerful techniques to further evolve these enzymes for specific chemistries, has set the stage for real progress in reaching commercial targets. This new Center is organized to provide our Industrial Members with critical cutting edge research on enzyme transformations related to polymer technology. The resulting knowledge base, and the resources of the Center, are made available to our Industrial Members so that they will be in a position to critically assess the potential impact that Biocatalysis and Bioprocessing might have on their short and long-term business strategies.