Front Cover: Recent Advances in Biocatalytic and Chemoenzymatic Synthesis of Oligonucleotides (ChemBioChem 9/2025)

Abstract

Access to synthetic oligonucleotides is crucial for applications in diagnostics, therapeutics, synthetic biology, and nanotechnology. Traditional solid phase synthesis is limited by sequence length and complexities, low yields, high costs and poor sustainability. Similarly, polymerase-based approaches do not permit any control on the positioning of modifications and display poor substrate tolerance. In response, biocatalytic and chemoenzymatic strategies have emerged as promising alternatives, offering selective and efficient pathways for oligonucleotide synthesis. These methods leverage the precision and efficiency of enzymes to construct oligonucleotides with high fidelity. More details can be found in article 10.1002/cbic.202400987 by Pierre Nicolas Bizat, Nazarii Sabat, and Marcel Hollenstein.