Patent ID: 7888080

Claim:
A process for preparing an optically active alkanol of formula I wherein n is an integer from 0 to 5; Cyc is an optionally substituted, mono- or polynuclear, saturated or unsaturated, carbocyclic or heterocyclic ring; and R 1 is a halogen, SH, OH, NO 2 , NR 2 R 3 or NR 2 R 3 R 4+ X − , wherein R 2 , R 3 and R 4 independently are hydrogen or a lower alkyl or lower alkoxy radical, and X − is a counterion comprising incubating the alkanone of formula II in which n, Cyc and R 1 are as defined above, in a medium comprising (i) an enzyme comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1, or (ii) an enzyme comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 95% identity to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:1, and wherein the enzyme retains at least 50% of the dehydrogenase activity of the enzyme comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:1, wherein the alkanone of formula II is enzymatically reduced to the compound of formula I; and isolating the product formed.