Scientific Committee

For a long time, enzymes were rarely used by organic chemists. They often worked only with a narrow range of molecules, lacked sufficient stereoselectivity, or were too unstable for practical use. In the 1990s, Reetz and his group introduced the concept of directed evolution of stereoselective enzymes. By mimicking nature’s evolutionary process, they created libraries of enzyme variants, screened them for improved performance, and iteratively refined them. This approach transformed enzymes from fixed natural tools into tailor-made catalysts for applications in pharmaceuticals, agriculture, materials science, and green chemistry.

Reetz also made important contributions to transition metal catalysis. He developed new ligands and catalysts that improved control over stereoselectivity in reactions, advancing the field of asymmetric synthesis. 

The Ryoji Noyori Prize was established by the SSOCJ in 2002 to commemorate Professor Ryoji Noyori’s 2001 Nobel Prize. It is awarded annually to scientists for outstanding achievements in asymmetric synthetic chemistry.