For the 5th course, join Dani and LC as they sit down with #MerckChemistry's Meg Shaw and Chihui An to discuss their biocatalytic approach in transforming readily available acrylic acids to chiral α-substituted carboxylic acids - a reoccurring motif in drug development. As this story evolved (no pun intended),  we’ll hear how Meg (Process Chemistry) and Chihui (Biocatalysis) joined forces to develop an ene-reductase (ERED) to effect the asymmetric reduction of acrylic acids and ultimately why transition metal catalyzed approaches were ditched. In addition, the duo discuss what brought them to pursue a career in industry, how they discovered this reaction (the real story) and what it's like to run enzymatic reactions (turns out it's easy!).

We also feature Merck Future Talents Program intern, Annika Tharp, who shares how she secured her internship and provides insider tips on how to crush your interview!

Read the paper we discussed today here: Enantioselective Enzymatic Reduction of Acrylic Acids

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