Keynote speakers > Christine CAVAZZA

In cristallo catalysis by artificial metalloenzymes

Dr. Christine Cavazza

Laboratoire Chimie et Biologie des Métaux,CEA-Grenoble

17 avenue des Martyrs, 38 054 Grenoble cedex 09, France

Christine.CAVAZZA@cea.fr>

Biosketch: 

Christine Cavazza obtained a PhD degree of the University of Aix-Marseille in 1996. After a postdoctoral stay at the University of Florence with Prof. Ivano Bertini, she joined the group of Claude Hatchikian in Marseilles in 1998. In 2000, she joined the group of Juan Carlos Fontecilla-Camps at the Institute for Structural Biology (Grenoble) and obtained a junior scientist position in the Life Science Division of CEA .  In 2021, she became group leader of the team Bioenergy & Environment at the LCBM. Her current scientific interests are focused  on natural and artificial metalloenzymes and the activation of small molecules (CO, H₂, CO₂).

Summary: 

In sustainable chemistry, the development of catalysts based on earth-abundant metals and operating under mild conditions is becoming a priority. In this field, artificial metalloenzymes, which are created by incorporating metal catalysts into biological scaffolds, offer also the possibility of catalysing new-to-nature reactions and to control the enantioselectivity of the reaction. To take this step further, we have developed heterogeneous catalysts by using cross-linked enzyme crystals (CLEC) by inserting complexes into crystals of NikA, a bacterial Ni importer, allowing to work under more severe conditions (pH, temperatures, organic solvents,...). We have synthesized a series of NikA-based CLEC for oxidation reactions, using safe oxidants. Recent advances in cascade reactions will also be presented.