An Asia flow chemistry system from Syrris is helping to streamline biocatalysis reactions for researchers at the Biocatalysis and Organic Synthesis Group at the Chemistry Institute of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.

Professor Rodrigo de Souza explained: “Our main aim is to take existing batch processes and optimize them under continuous flow conditions. For example, we have been able to transfer a cascade reaction – involving chemical catalysis followed by biocatalysis and a final chemical catalysis – from batch to continuous flow, eliminating the laborious task of isolating each intermediate. This dramatically reduced the reaction time without compromising selectivity and is more efficient, giving us a greater yield. Using continuous flow processes also avoids causing mechanical damage to the biocatalyst, so it can be recycled many more times than with batch reactions.”

“We have been using the Asia system for several years, and it helped us to become the first group at the University – and in Brazil – to develop biocatalyzed continuous flow reactions. It is a very user-friendly system, and the wide range of flow rates offered by the Asia Syringe Pump and the platform’s modular design provide us with the flexibility we need. For example, we have the freedom to incorporate a FLLEX (Flow Liquid Liquid EXtraction) unit if we need to purify a product by liquid-liquid extraction. Asia is the ideal solution for our research.”

Syrris Limited

Syrris develops laboratory automation products for research and development chemists, and is renowned for its batch chemistry reactors and world-leading flow chemistry systems. It offers advanced lab-scale reactor systems – including the Atlas batch reactor, the fully automated Atlas HD system and the manually operated Orb jacketed reactor platform – as well as the Asia flow chemistry systems. The company’s latest innovations include the Orb Pilot large-scale batch reactor and the Titan continuous flow chemical processing systems.

In recognition of its technological achievements, Syrris received the eastern region’s UKTI Best Established Exporter award, as well as the award for the Most Outstanding Export Achievement at the Global Opportunity Conference on International Trade. In 2012, its Asia Flow Chemistry system was the recipient of a prestigious R&D award.

Established in 2001, Syrris is a brand of Blacktrace Holdings Ltd, a world leader in Productizing Science®. The company is based in Royston, near Cambridge, UK, where it employs 125 staff – including 40 chemists and engineers – with offices in the US, Japan, India and Brazil, as well as more than 45 distributors worldwide.