Book excerpt: The development of new asymmetric catalytic methods is of fundamental importance to industrial synthetic chemistry. The demand for optically pure synthetic intermediates and the drive to adopt greener methods of synthesis have stimulated a growing interest in biocatalysis as a selective and environmentally benign synthetic technique. Practical Biotransformations: A Beginner's Guide provides an introduction to microbes and enzymes and demonstrates their practical applications in synthetic organic chemistry. Designed as a laboratory manual, this user-friendly guide discusses standard laboratory techniques, with appropriate advice on aspects of microbial practice and associated safety. Topics covered include: An introduction to equipment in a biotransformations laboratory An overview of biocatalyst sources Maintenance and growth of biocatalysts Example biotransformations using commercially available microbes and enzymes Basic gene cloning and the use of ‘designer’ biocatalysts This book will be a valuable resource for synthetic organic chemists with little or no experience of biochemistry or microbiology. It is the author’s hope that this text will inspire readers to consider biocatalytic methods as real alternatives to traditional synthetic solutions.