Narrow Results

Living organisms evolved by exploiting molybdenum as a catalyst, incorporating it in the active site of oxidoreductase enzymes that control a diverse array of oxygen, hydrogen and sulfur atom transfer reactions. The chemical versatility of this successful partnership, protein–molybdenum, enables the fulfillment of distinct physiological roles, from bacterial atmospheric dinitrogen and carbon dioxide fixation to human sulfite detoxification. After several decades of research, our present comprehensive understanding of the structure and function of molybdoenzymes renders this an opportune time to draw attention to the largely disregarded biological molybdenum reactivity and bring to light its biotechnological potential and health-related challenges. In this chapter, we provide a concise overview of the molybdoenzymes catalytic features, followed by an outline of selected biotechnological applications to tackle some of the challenges that our modern society faces in the fields of environment, agriculture, climate and energy, namely, nitrate remediation, dinitrogen fixation and carbon dioxide capture and utilization. A brief account of molybdenum’s human health implications is also included to highlight the relevance of these metalloenzymes to medicine and the pharma industry.